Article: Social Networking Grows Up

by Jill Hurst-Wahl

At last, it seems like the value of social networking is being recognized by "the establishment." Quoting the article:

Have you ever minimized your Facebook browser window when your supervisor walked past your desk, afraid you might appear unprofessional? Social-networking guilt may soon be a thing of the past as a new breed of social networking sites for scientists clamor to be the next great timesaver in the lab--for you and your supervisor. These science-specific, Web-based networks combine handy library and document-sharing tools with a social twist. Such sites permit scientists to "help out each other with protocols, discuss topics, prepare for scientific meetings, maybe even show off your research a little bit," says social network user Erika Gyengesi, a neuroscience postdoc at Yale University.

Sites mentioned include:

• labmeeting
• MyNetResearch
• Connotea
• ResearchGate 
• ResearchConnect
• SmallWorlds

The article notes that no site is dominating the scene thus far, so a scientist may need to try several sites and then decide which one fits her.