Corey Clatterbuck
Almost every ecologist looks forward to professional conferences -- and with good reason! It's a time to get additional feedback on our research, hear the most up-to-date work, meet others who are crazy enough to enter our specific field, and catch up with old friends and collaborators. If we're lucky, the conference is also in a fun location where it's easy to leave the computer screen behind. However, in-person conferences are often expensive, time-consuming, and not carbon-friendly1.
Almost every ecologist looks forward to professional conferences -- and with good reason! It's a time to get additional feedback on our research, hear the most up-to-date work, meet others who are crazy enough to enter our specific field, and catch up with old friends and collaborators. If we're lucky, the conference is also in a fun location where it's easy to leave the computer screen behind. However, in-person conferences are often expensive, time-consuming, and not carbon-friendly1.
In the digital age, who says all conferences have to be in-person? In April, a committee of joint seabird researchers and Twitter users held the third-annual World Seabird Twitter Conference #WSTC3. The format is simple: each presenter has six tweets (140 characters each) to present their latest research during an assigned 15-minute span. Participants can attach fieldwork photos of study species, figures, animated GIFs, videos of data collection, or even make their own graphic novel. Beyond the social media formatting, the conference structure is similar to that of traditional conferences. This year, the committee added plenaries -- invited speakers who have 12 tweets in 30 minutes to present their work -- and a live chat via Google hangouts to discuss the plenary topics afterwards. Viewers can also easily ask questions or get in touch with the presenters by replying to their tweet presentation -- a great opportunity to get in touch with that researcher who's work you admire, or get idea for new projects.
A Twitter conference opens doors to communicate with other scientists around the globe who are interested in the same questions as you!
Twitter conferences also have many other advantages beyond being low-cost and carbon-friendly. Ever wished you had taken notes or could see a figure from a presentation one more time? By searching the hashtag #WSTC3 on Twitter, I can easily re-visit presentations long after the conference has ended. Some scientists may find it easier to ask a question via Twitter than crafting an email, or standing up and speaking in front of a crowd at an in-person conference. Additionally, #WSTC3 puts me in connection with seabird researchers around the globe that I would not have the opportunity to talk with other than at a in-person conference. Twitter conferences are more accessible by researchers regardless of location or funding, so attendees are less likely to be biased by conference location. #WSTC3 hosted over 120 presentations with representatives from all continents, and #WSTC3 tweets have been viewed by over 3.9 million people. Talk about incredible reach! As the sole seabirder in my lab (not to mention my institution), I'm especially grateful for conferences that can foster a sense of community, even from afar.
Corey Clatterbuck is a PhD Candidate in the Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology (JDPE) at San Diego State University and UC-Davis. When not developing seabirds as monitors of anthropogenic contaminants, she usually dreams of being back on remote islands with her study subjects, where Twitter is often not an option. Regardless, she'd love it if you followed her on Twitter @Cocotross
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