How social media can tell the world about university research

Abstract

Research impact is primarily measured by publication in high-ranking journals, the majority of which are in English. This narrow measurement focusing on scientific journals, together with exclusionary language policies, impedes knowledge sharing and raises the question: Do the dominant scholarly communication systems serve the public good? As important as it is to publish in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals, impactful research should equally be measured by assessing the extent to which researchers connect with or share their knowledge with the public they serve. After all, through taxes, the public’s money contributes to funding research conducted at our universities. Therefore, researchers have a public duty to inform, share and foster better understanding of the challenges facing societies.