Social Media as a Means to Disseminate and Advocate Cardiovascular Research: Why, How, and Best Practices

The use of Twitter or other social media platforms for research can transcend current limitations in the dissemination of research and present new opportunities for research networking by connecting researchers, clinicians, policymakers, the public, and other stakeholders on a global scale. As social media influence continues to expand, it becomes increasingly important for cardiovascular researchers to employ social media strategies to increase the impact of their research work, for the ultimate goal of improved outcomes for patients living with or at risk for cardiovascular diseases. Altmetrics are novel metrics that track the attention that scholarly outputs are receiving in non-traditional sources such as in the news, blogs, and social media posts. These alternative metrics record research dissemination beyond traditional journal citation indices, while also predicting and even promoting future citations. This review outlines various methods of how social media can be used to disseminate research, guidance on how to develop a social media portfolio for consideration of academic promotion, and some best practices for promoting one’s research work.