Social media, research and museum curatorship — a concrete example

Discussions with Rebekah Higgitt(@beckyfh) sometimes extend over 15-25 turns with up to a handfull of interlocutors. But even if the chat relayed above is pretty mundane, it illustrates some of the experiences a growing number of users of social media for academic and curatorial purposes have made: Social media allow for instant discussion: Within a few minutes Jaipreet, Nathaniel, David and I were engaged in a conversation about a neglected topic (the representation of smell) in the history of STM and STM museums. Social media increase the chances of contacts between researchers and curators considerably: The four of us have never met before, and chances are low we would have had this discussion in a coffee break between conference sessions. You don’t need to travel to meet: You can discuss at length with many people without any travel costs and minimal carbon footprint. It’s informal: You can have a beer or take a bath while discussing serious matters. Twitter breaks down hierarchies: It doesn’t matter who’s a senior professor and who’s a PhD candidate –the best argument creates responses, generates discussion, and increases the number of followers. It also makes turn-taking easier, and breaks down the all too common male domination in seminar discussions. Social media nivellate cultural and linguistic barriers: It doesn’t matter if you speak with a strong accent or master the intricacies of English grammar. Twitter isn’t built for bullshit: Th...
Source: Biomedicine on Display - Category: Medical Scientists Authors: Tags: blogging curation history of medicine material studies museum studies public outreach senses smell social web media Twitter Source Type: blogs