Hi everyone
An earlier message mentioned Tony Nicklinson and reminded me I'd intended to ask your collective opinions on this - what do you think about using social and online media (blogs and twitter and so on) in research, in terms of both disseminating research and making research accessible to non-academic members of the disability communities.
I use twitter a lot, and I find it useful in terms of discussing activism (and finding ways to be involved - I think saying online activism is "slacktivism" ignores that it gives people who find traditional forms of activism difficult/inaccessible a voice) and - more personally - in connecting with other disabled people who share my interests. I recently read a list of academic tweeters (http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2011/09/02/academic-tweeters-your-suggestions-in-full/) but noticed that only a couple listed disability among their interests; I wonder if this is a lack of awareness or a lack of people talking about research into disability. Or just me not following the right people!
With blogging, I know there are blogs out there, but again, they seem to be a minority when it comes to research/academia-focused blogs - but again, I wonder if that's me not being able to find them, rather than them not being there. I wonder if this could be considered a possible and useful tool in terms of making research accessible - while I am aware that not everyone has the access to the internet that I do in this country, or worldwide, I think *not* using online and social media - and not doing so thoroughly - is damaging to "the cause" (as it were) - of getting our research out there, and getting disabled people and allies from outside the academic community interested.
Any thoughts? Or people I should be following on twitter?
Emma
(incidentally, I am attempting to put my money where my mouth is in this, and welcome any feedback on my own reseach blog, a tiny wee thing, http://disabilitysexproject.wordpress.com )
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