28 April 2020

Publishing your paper is just the start of communicating your research to the world. Some researchers feel uneasy about self-promotion, but chances are your existing network is interested in what you’re doing – you just need to tell them! Sharing your work is useful and professional. Follow our 10 tips to get started.

1. Be social

Social media is a powerful tool for engaging with the scientific community. Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and WeChat all provide a way to share your work and build a knowledgeable audience.

Using relevant hashtags will link your research to popular topics or alternatively help you speak to a niche group. Respond to comments, answer questions and follow others to build an online community. Tag which of our journals you’ve published in and we’ll know to share your post with our followers too.

2. Update professional profiles

Add new publications and research interests to platforms such as LinkedIn, Research Gate, Academia.edu and Zhihu. You can connect with colleagues, publish summaries of your work and maintain an accurate list of your research developments.

3. Speak to the press

Research that is relevant to the wider public is sent to journalists in the form of a press release. Appropriate research for press releases is selected by our editorial teams, and the communications team at your institution may want to highlight your paper to their media contacts as well.

4. Start a blog

Think creatively about your work and start writing a blog, free from the restrictions of an academic paper. You can then share your blog articles on social media and gain regular readers. For inspiration, take a look at the Node. A community blog for developmental biologists, the Node is run by Development and publishes interviews, news, resources, jobs, and plenty more. Anyone can create an account and start writing.

5. Refresh lab and departmental websites

Once your work is published, make sure you update your publication list on your lab and departmental website, including a link to the paper.

6. Tell your story

Tell people your science story. Make the most of conferences, talks and presentations to connect with colleagues and alert them to your latest research.

7. Encourage readership

If your institution isn’t subscribed to the journal you’ve published in, recommend a subscription and encourage readership internally.

8. Use your email signature

Add a link to your latest publication or an online profile to your email signature for a simple but effective way to spread the word.

9. Get an ORCiD ID

Register for a free ORCiD ID to receive a unique identifier that will tie you to your work and distinguish you from other researchers. Once registered, you can update your profile with article information.

10. Use preprint repositories

If you’ve deposited your data in a depository or your manuscript in a preprint repository, such as bioRxiv, update your entry with the link to the final published paper.

There are a lot of simple steps you can take to increase the reach and impact of your work. Choose a few that suit you and most importantly, enjoy the process of sharing your research with the wider community!

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