"How to blog, get tenure and prosper"

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One of the discussions that frequently happens at the eScience/Science 2.0 type meetings is how does academia incorporate the Web 2.0 technologies (Blogging, etc) into the tenure based reward system - these are technologies that change how quickly/accessible information can be and are not connected to the current papers to journal process.  So I found it really interesting to read john hawks blog (Univ of Wisconsin - Madison) posting on getting tenure and blogging.  The advice he gives is great...

Personally, I think that maturity as a scientist comes with the ability to explain your work to your parents.

The advice is not only good for blogging but also in communicating the research cross domains (ie. eScience confs).  For talks - knowing the audience is a good thing and resist the need to show off your mental muscle.

Since it is a four-part series - check back for the other posts. I'm looking forward to the final installment - how john quantified "my blog's role as a service to the field and to the public."

How to blog, get tenure and prosper

Last month, the University of Wisconsin officially granted me tenure. So, I can say without any doubt (if other examples had not been sufficient), it is absolutely possible to write a daily, high-profile blog and still be recognized by your colleagues as a scholar. In fact, it is possible to blog, do good research, and earn tenure at a Research I university.

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Happily things have changed. With the rise of science blogging, people have become much more aware of the ways that a blog can contribute to a career in science. If you establish a readership, the chances are your colleagues will find out about your blog themselves, instead of looking at you in befuddlement. Blogs are not research, but in some fields they have become an important part of the process of networking and critical commentary. A well-written blog is far from a liability to a scientific career, and may be a real boon.

How to blog, get tenure and prosper: Starting the blog | john hawks weblog