IRCPPS in the Links: LSE Produces Twitter Guide for Academics

via Dan Drezner:

How can Twitter, which limits users to 140 characters per tweet, have any relevance to universities and academia, where journal articles are between 3,000-8,000 words long? Can anything of academic value ever be said in just 140 characters? 

A new Twitter guide published by the LSE Public Policy Group seeks to answer this question, and show academics and researchers how to get the most out of the micro-blogging site. The Guide is designed to lead the novice through the basics of Twitter but also provide tips on how it can aid the teaching and research of the more experienced academic tweeter. 

Suggestions for tweeting academics include, adopting different styles – from 'substantive' to 'conversational' – to match the content and intended audience; crowd-sourcing research activities, such as getting followers to gather information or analyse data, and setting up different feeds to provide targeted guidance and feedback for each taught class.