“Getting Attention” Creating and Presenting the Visible, Online, Researcher Self

Using the idea of a digitally based, constructed, and virtual researcher self, we explore ways in which social media, social network sites, and social networking present researcher self(ves) and research product(s) to a range of interested others. We argue that in a climate where visibility of, and attention for, both research and researchers is paramount, we are seeing the resilience and morphing of metrics and all they represent into new and different forms driven by possibilities afforded by social media and social networking. This poses new forms of old problems for qualitative inquiry and qualitative inquirers. However, at the same time, used with care, social media and social networking may open up possibilities for qualitative research to be seen and heard, and better reach those for whom our research is of interest and use. Central questions underpinning the discussion are: How can we use, rather than be used by, the possibilities afforded to our research and researcher selves by social media and social networking? If we cannot always control how our researcher self is presented in social media and social networking sites, how might we resist the researcher self being assembled for us by others such as by their use of altmetrics? Crucially, how can we make sure that qualitative inquiry and expertise is the focus, rather than the gaining of attention, thus avoiding the proliferation of a type of Kardashian qualitative inquiry–related trendsetter and opinion maker based more on ability to gain attention than expertise in qualitative inquiry