The academic web profile as a genre of ‘self-making’
(2019) In Online Information Review 43(5). p.760-774- Abstract
- Purpose
The activities of academic researchers are increasingly regulated by neo-liberal ideals, including expectations that researchers are visible online and actively promote their output. The purpose of this paper is to explore how researchers take on this responsibility. It uses the concepts of genre, authorship and self-writing in order to understand how the story of an academic life is constructed on academic web profiles.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative content analysis was conducted of material on 64 profiles belonging to 20 researchers on institutional and personal websites, as well as on ResearchGate, Academica.edu and Google Scholar.
Findings
The study shows that while institutional... (More) - Purpose
The activities of academic researchers are increasingly regulated by neo-liberal ideals, including expectations that researchers are visible online and actively promote their output. The purpose of this paper is to explore how researchers take on this responsibility. It uses the concepts of genre, authorship and self-writing in order to understand how the story of an academic life is constructed on academic web profiles.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative content analysis was conducted of material on 64 profiles belonging to 20 researchers on institutional and personal websites, as well as on ResearchGate, Academica.edu and Google Scholar.
Findings
The study shows that while institutional websites primarily contain researcher-produced material, content on commercial platforms is often co-constructed through distributed authorship by the researcher, the platform and other platform users. Nine different ways in which the profile of an “academic self” may be said to highlight the particular strengths of a researcher are identified. These include both metrics-based strengths and qualitative forms of information about the academic life, such as experience, the importance of their research and good teaching.
Social implications
This study of academic web profiles contributes to a better understanding of how researchers self-govern the story of their academic self, or resist such governance, in online environments.
Originality/value
The study furthers the knowledge of how researchers make use of and respond to digital tools for online visibility opportunities and how the story of the “academic self” is “made” for such public presentation. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/40f1dcb8-592a-44a8-9b33-b2588cd63ca6
- author
- Francke, Helena LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Academic social network sites, Researchers, Self-writing, Distributed authorship, Academic web profiles
- in
- Online Information Review
- volume
- 43
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 760 - 774
- publisher
- Emerald Group Publishing Limited
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85063902392
- ISSN
- 1468-4527
- DOI
- 10.1108/OIR-12-2017-0347
- project
- Creating trust: scholars, self-representations and online environments
- Knowledge in a Digital World: Trust, Credibility and Relevance on the Web
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 40f1dcb8-592a-44a8-9b33-b2588cd63ca6
- date added to LUP
- 2018-03-23 16:39:15
- date last changed
- 2024-02-13 17:39:47
@article{40f1dcb8-592a-44a8-9b33-b2588cd63ca6,
abstract = {{Purpose<br/><br/>The activities of academic researchers are increasingly regulated by neo-liberal ideals, including expectations that researchers are visible online and actively promote their output. The purpose of this paper is to explore how researchers take on this responsibility. It uses the concepts of genre, authorship and self-writing in order to understand how the story of an academic life is constructed on academic web profiles.<br/>Design/methodology/approach<br/><br/>A qualitative content analysis was conducted of material on 64 profiles belonging to 20 researchers on institutional and personal websites, as well as on ResearchGate, Academica.edu and Google Scholar.<br/>Findings<br/><br/>The study shows that while institutional websites primarily contain researcher-produced material, content on commercial platforms is often co-constructed through distributed authorship by the researcher, the platform and other platform users. Nine different ways in which the profile of an “academic self” may be said to highlight the particular strengths of a researcher are identified. These include both metrics-based strengths and qualitative forms of information about the academic life, such as experience, the importance of their research and good teaching.<br/>Social implications<br/><br/>This study of academic web profiles contributes to a better understanding of how researchers self-govern the story of their academic self, or resist such governance, in online environments.<br/>Originality/value<br/><br/>The study furthers the knowledge of how researchers make use of and respond to digital tools for online visibility opportunities and how the story of the “academic self” is “made” for such public presentation.}},
author = {{Francke, Helena}},
issn = {{1468-4527}},
keywords = {{Academic social network sites; Researchers; Self-writing; Distributed authorship; Academic web profiles}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{5}},
pages = {{760--774}},
publisher = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}},
series = {{Online Information Review}},
title = {{The academic web profile as a genre of ‘self-making’}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/69819383/Francke_AcademicWebProfile_OIR_43_5_postprint.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1108/OIR-12-2017-0347}},
volume = {{43}},
year = {{2019}},
}