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Building a Strong Online Research Profile

Building a Strong Online Research Profile

"Having a strong professional profile can make all the difference in the world for early career researchers."
C. Daniela Robles-Espinoza, Associate Professor, National Autonomous University of Mexico 

The world of academic publishing is so cutthroat these days, there’s even a board game now called Publish or Perish. The reality is that establishing a successful career means working hard to get your work out there, and most importantly in front of the people who matter. Getting published is a major achievement, but it’s only the first step in a long process - of establishing yourself and becoming known as a major contributor to your field of knowledge. 

There are over 8 million active researchers worldwide, and nearly 3 million papers published annually. Standing out from a crowd this big is quite a daunting task. 

However, there are ways of doing this which you can easily pick up, and investing the necessary effort is time well spent. Grabbing the attention of people who can make a difference, such as fellow researchers, industry professionals, journalists, policy makers and journal editors, means new openings and collaborative opportunities, which is what will drive your career forwards.

“Researchers should take this course because it will help professionals like me find you. That in turn will give you a voice in the way that science is discussed, and it will help amplify the visibility of you and of your research.”
Celeste Biever, Chief News and Features Editor, Nature

Increase your visibility

So where do you start? The very first step is to build a strong online presence - this is paramount if you want your work to reach the right audiences. Given the importance of this task, Nature Masterclasses have created a new on-demand microlearning course designed to equip you with the skills necessary to build an effective online profile which showcases your work and expertise. 

Building a Strong Online Researcher Profile is a short, practical course teaching you how to choose the right websites and platforms to build your profile(s), create effective biographies and select optimal keywords. You will also learn effective techniques for boosting your visibility and maximising your chances of success in the crowded digital world. 

“Being discoverable is hard. There are millions of names on Google Scholar and hundreds of researchers in any given field. This course gives an easy breakdown of things that you can implement immediately to improve your discoverability.”
Miranda Vinay, Associate Editor, Communications Engineering

Improving focus and knowledge retention

Finding the time to take on even more tasks, however meaningful, is hard. We recognise that. Nature Masterclasses’ market research tells us that although researchers appreciate the thorough approach offered by our traditional courses, many of them don’t have enough time to reach the end.

Data gathered in our 2024 Nature Masterclasses/SHIFT survey of 325 early-career researchers in all regions of the world.

So we adopted a different approach for Building a Strong Online Researcher Profile. We decided to adapt our existing course parameters, and tested a new microlearning ‘espresso’ format – short, practical, engaging and full of advice. This new format was based on a talk by Miranda Vinay, Associate Editor for Communications Engineering, which was a great success with early career researchers. 

Microlearning is an educational strategy that condenses and refines learning into shorter, more memorable sessions. Building a Strong Online Researcher Profile delivers bite-sized content, focused on acquiring one specific skill at a time, in 3- to 5-minute chunks. Each lesson in the course can be completed in 10-15 minutes. This training structure allows researchers to be in total control of their learning and incorporate the sessions more easily into their busy daily schedules. 

Building a Strong Online Researcher Profile is delivered in an updated easy-to-follow slide format and written in an accessible conversational tone. The interactive activities are designed to keep you engaged and enable you to informally check your understanding as you go.

What you will learn

Across 5 concise lessons, Building a Strong Online Researcher Profile teaches researchers how to:

  • Understand the importance of having an effective researcher profile and identify the key components;
  • Recognise the different groups of professionals who might look at your profile and be familiar with their requirements;
  • Strategically choose the right platforms for your researcher profile;
  • Generate an effective biography containing the keywords that match your skills and experience;
  • Develop the necessary skills to boost the visibility of your work and expertise.

Developed by experts

Based on Miranda Vinay’s original talk, the course was further shaped and refined by experts in finding and collaborating with researchers online, including:

  • Miranda Vinay, Associate Editor, Communications Engineering;
  • Sadaf Shadan, Biological Sciences Team Manager and Senior Editor, Nature. 

Additional video interviews see science professionals share hands-on experiences, advice and sample cases, which make the course relevant, practical and engaging:

Supporting researchers throughout the life cycle

A strong online profile is a key building block for your career ahead, and thankfully easy to create by drawing on the expertise offered in Building a Strong Online Researcher Profile. As competition across all scientific fields continues to rise, it’s more important than ever before for researchers to be proactive and well-skilled.
Nature Masterclasses’ companion courses Advancing your Scientific Presentations and Effective Science Communication complement this and other courses designed to create a rounded researcher, equipping you to stand out from the crowd and maximise your chances of success.

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