The research landscape is changing very quickly. Social media and multimedia platforms enable growing numbers of researchers to network, connect, share, and disseminate research and research-related activities and resources more conveniently, affordably and with greater reach than ever before.

The JISC-funded SMART (Social Media Assessment for Research Transfer) project forms part of the School’s broader digital communications strategy to increase the use of social media platforms, enhance and improve communications and information-sharing between researchers, students, and staff of the School as well as with external stakeholders, in particular researchers, postgraduate students and research-related organisations nationally and internationally.

This one-year project, which will be completed in July 2013, will enable the School to: assess current stakeholder activity in this area; develop social media tools, policy and practice: and provide a support infrastructure and long-term strategy for social media as a research communications tool.