I honestly hadn’t realized there was so much chatter over
the issue of blogging and its relevance in the academic world. Being fairly
new to blogging about my job and a few other interests related to anthropology,
I had assumed that the power of using a blog as social media was simply to keep
writing in general and if that media inspires ideas or input for bigger
projects then it has been successful if not entertaining to reflect on
retrospectively.
In the past week I’ve read quite a few critiques and
defenses of the academic blog (not exactly what this blog is by the way). The
idea of a very ‘serious’ blog doesn’t seem to really capture the point of one
in the first place, and as the debates have continued about whether blogging
has a place in academic publishing it seems that most people have missed the
point.
Perhaps since I work in a museum, it seems more likely that because
I interact with the public I should be able to explain what I do, research, and
am interested in for a general audience. Writing online definitely has nothing
to do with speaking to an academic audience, other than that perhaps a blogger
might have some communication skills in my opinion which aren’t emphasized
enough in academia. How many academics really step out of their academic jargon
comfort zone and just interact with colleagues and the general public through normal communication? Academia tends not to change as quickly as online formats of communication, but nonetheless, opportunities to communicate should be taken on.
It seems more now than ever, at least in the museum academic
sector, that the idea of being social media savvy and capable is very
important. I’ve heard countless talks about how museums engage with the public
through social media, and there are workshops (today!) to discuss these
issues in depth (June 7 Newcastle University ICCHS workshop).
It is no doubt an important skill to be able to remove oneself from academic
writing and write for a wider audience, but because of the fleeting nature of social media itself, to expect that any post, tweet, blog, or update
on social media will stand as a legacy of a researcher is to misunderstand the
main purpose of social media as a tool for networking, promotion, and at times self-motivation.
Posts
Hi CAG. I'm not sure I agree with your conclusions, or even some of your basic assumptions.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't a blog be serious? Why can't a blogger speak to an academic audience? Why do you think that social media is fleeting in nature? Although an individual post may not have longevity (debatable in itself), the cumulative impact of regular blogging on an academic conversation - or conversation of any other kind - can be significant. When I look at the impact my blog has had vs the impact my academic papers have had, the difference is significant. Just the sheer consistency of engagement with the subject matter on my blog enables it to connect to a conversation in a way that more formal and slower academic mechanisms simply don't allow. Any legacy I ever have as a researcher will absolutely be because of my blog, and my connections to a blog community.
That some blogs are chiefly tools for networking, promotion, and self-motivation, does not mean that all blogs are, or that such is the natural state of blogs and blogging. The very flexibility of the platform is one of its most appealing attributes of blogging. There are many, many academics who are using their blogs as a way to think through issues in public, to develop ideas in sketch, to participate in debates and contribute to the online global conversation and exchange of ideas.
It will be interesting to see whether your sense of blogging changes as you engage with it further.
Hi museumgeek! Thank you for your comment and reading the blog. You're most correct that I probably need to engage with more blogging to make a definitive decision as to its impact on my academic life. I think that the flexibility of blogging you refer to as being able 'to think through issues in public, to develop ideas in sketch...participate in debates and contribute to the online global conversation and exchange of ideas' is very relevant. I do feel most of these points refer to a sense of self-motivation and promotion (of ideas and conversation generally), which I stated as relevant to blogging. The bloggers who seem to be debating the relevance of academic blogging tend to agree with these points as well so I think we’re relatively on the same page with this.
DeleteThe knowledge mobilisation of forums like blogs and twitter make information networking really powerful if not fast-moving. I think the very nature of the reverse chronological post and the breaking news aspect of information networking means that keeping active and constantly engaging makes past posts, tweets, and engagements (though searchable) a lot less relevant than what you have most recently said. The power of networking you get through social media by gaining interlocutors and collaborators probably doesn’t discount a blog from being ‘serious’, but does mean one must embrace the wide-reaching availability and accessible language a blog should provide, which is a very outlet from restricted academic publishing. At the least, blogging encompasses a format which is not normally taken as seriously as the peer-reviewed publishing world, but perhaps this should change…