(Since the beginning – Flaming sideburns)http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/11/9/3011696/My%20Documents/03-since_the_beginning-evighet.mp3″
I would try to get in scene of starting a research project, say… tomorrow. And foremost reflect about how to make the most of the virtual places in which is possible to get some work done (instead of only the library and the lab).
Whatever the nature of the research the first I would like to do is looking for information. The more and the wider the better, to really understand the context and the implications of my research. At this stage would be pretty useful and fast to read a bit of everything within reach: webs, blogs, forums, wikis, videos, photos, bookmarks, presentations, previous projects, book reviews…
The aim of this would be not only get literature on the topic, but also discover if there is any current research in similar topics, or any place or network dedicated to this particular area. Information other people already know and questions that somebody else asked.
Later on, when the research was more advanced, I would like to obtain something else from the social media tools to pay off the time spent on it. I guess, what you can earn and which tools to use depends a lot on the sort of experimentation planned, but in a general sense I would try to gain valuable contacts to my cause. Maybe somebody who master the topic and could give me some useful clue, or amateurs supporting it, or common people to whom bring the research closer and possibly obtain opinions from some of them.
The research should have an online presence to make all this happen. Keep all the involved people informed, something interesting in exchange. Having profiles in as many different platforms as I was be capable of manage (me…or my assistants! :p). Also would be useful as promotion. And even in case of being a public engagement project as platform for the experiments, to reach more and different people.
Using effectively social media in this way (although very enriching) could be pretty demanding so I guess the best would be a good planning from the start.
Noise for everyone 