Social Networking for Scientists

Sure, social networking is a fun way to look at pictures of your sister’s kid and to stay in touch with friends halfway across the country. But, as the social networking trend continues to grow, more specialized versions of Facebook and Myspace are popping up just for professionals, and even for scientists in particular. The aim of these sites varies, from simply keeping scientists in touch with the latest research in their field, to helping them find jobs. Here are some of the best ones to check out.

For Staying Up to Date

  • Academia.edu: Founded by an Oxford graduate student, this social network for scientists lets you view academics from around the world in a “tree format,” based on what college, institution, and department they are affiliated with. You can see their latest published papers and scheduled talks, in addition to letting the community know what you’re up to yourself. Hey, if Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins are both members, it’s probably good enough for you.
  • BioWizard: Powered by the enormous NIH database PubMed, this is basically a blog where important newly published articles are posted. 
  • LabMeeting: This tool helps current scientists stay on top of their own research, while also connecting them with relevant outside papers. You can upload your PDFs, organize them, search their text, and share data with the rest of your lab.
  • Ologeez!: This Stanford startup lets scientists find research papers that might be of interest to them, based on the interests of their social network. The site also offers collaborative tools for academics.

For Finding Friends and Colleagues

  • BioMedExperts: Many scientists have two and three degree “links” to hundreds of scientists around the world, due to the increase in scientific papers published by collaborating labs. This social network will show you other scientists around the world who you’re linked too, based on published papers and professional work. The site hopes to help link up researchers with colleagues who have similar interests.

For Finding Jobs

  • LinkedIn: While not specifically geared towards scientists, this job-directed social network can help you land that next interview. LinkedIn helps you find inside connections when looking for your next gig and chat with experts in your industry of choice.
  • ResearchGATE: Think of this as a LinkedIn specifically for scientific professionals. On the site, you can find other researchers and build your professional network, not to mention look at job postings and upcoming conferences. The site boasts over 700,000 scientist members.

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