Unlocking Academic Potential: Harnessing Social Media for Academic Visibility and Impacts

Preamble 

In recent years, Nigerian institutions have placed increasing emphasis on academics publishing their research outputs in high-impact journals, often prioritizing international publications over local ones. While this push for academic excellence is commendable, a pressing concern has emerged: the limited accessibility and visibility of these publications, among others, even within the academic community, and especially among students and other stakeholders. The shelves of online repositories and physical libraries are filled with valuable knowledge, but this knowledge remains largely untapped or underutilized due to poor dissemination strategy(ies).

This article argues that Nigerian universities must adapt to the evolving technological landscape and leverage social media platforms to amplify the reach and impact of their research outputs. By embracing digital channels such as social media, academics can increase the visibility of their works, foster collaborations, and contribute more meaningfully to national development.

The Limitations of Traditional Publishing Models

The current emphasis on publishing in high-impact journals, particularly those based abroad, often overlooks the potential audience within Nigeria. Many of these journals are behind paywall, making them inaccessible to students, researchers, and industry professionals who could benefit from the research. Moreover, the focus on international journals can lead to a disconnect between the focus of research being conducted and the local challenges they aim to address.

The Power of Social Media in Academia

Social media platforms have revolutionized the way information is shared and consumed globally. Academics can harness these platforms to disseminate their research findings, engage with peers, and build networks. Platforms like X(Twitter), LinkedIn, ResearchGate, and even YouTube offer opportunities for scholars to share their work beyond the confines of traditional academic circles.

On personal experiences, Yoruba Mathematics Class YouTube channel together with the AI & Tech Skills YouTube channel are worthy of examples to be cited, both channels, managed by an erudite scholar- Mathematician, IT guru and Nigerian, Dr. Kehinde Adenegan, which have brought him more visibility, impacts, and monetary gains. Besides, the Peter Akinsola Okebukola and Yetunde Akorede (Yestate TV) YouTube channels owned by these popular and dynamic Nigerian scholars are also testament of social media impacts of the academia on the society.

There has been an avalanche of digital content on social media extending the reach of subject teachers in STEM subjects delivered in local tongues to high school students preparing to write the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations. For Nigerian lecturers, creating digital content—such as short videos explaining research, infographics, or blog posts—to teach knotty topics to wide range of audience, and even make their work more accessible to students and other stakeholders. This approach not only increases the visibility of their teaching and research but also enhances their online presence, potentially leading to collaborations, speaking engagements, and recognition within and beyond academia and their local community.

Apparently, there seems to be paradigm shift in the reading culture which is not even limited to the Gen-Z generation but has also transcended to the adults. Put a rich and impactful information in a book form or a web-link and share with this generation, and again put another, no matter the content, on a social media through video, infographics, podcast or blog post; one discovers the later will attract more attention than the former disregarding the content geographic location. According to Prof. Toyin Falola's public lecture remark sometimes, "Gen-alpha generation is still coming with the trend of technological advancement". Hence, if that will be the generation that will form the audience that will be consuming the academic outputs or products, there may be a need to shift in that direction to create more impacts.

Learning from the Past: Newspaper Publications

In the past, publications in newspapers were considered valid for academic promotion in Nigeria but were later phased out. While this shift was partly due to concerns about quality and credibility, it also reflected a changing media landscape. Today, social media represents a similar shift in how information is disseminated and consumed. Rather than dismissing these platforms, universities should develop strategies to harness their potential while maintaining academic rigor and the culture of peer-review.

A Call to Action: Integrating Social Media into Academic Life

To address the issue of buried knowledge, Nigerian universities should encourage and incentivize academics to use social media to publicize their research. This could include:

1. Digital Content Creation Workshops: Offer training sessions for lecturers on creating engaging digital content, such as video abstracts, research summaries, and podcasts.

2. Social Media Guidelines: Develop institutional guidelines on how to use social media effectively and responsibly for academic purposes.

3. Recognition of Digital Contributions: Update promotion criteria to recognize digital contributions, such as impactful social media posts, blogs, or online presentations, alongside traditional publications.

4. Partnerships with Digital Platforms: Collaborate with platforms like ArXiv, ResearchGate, or local academic blogs to increase the visibility of Nigerian research.

5. Formulate and standardize the process of peer-reviewing of digital content artifacts for dissemination of research outputs to the non-technical audiences  

Conclusion

The emphasis on publication in high-impact journals is part of a broader goal: to foster research that drives societal progress. However, if the knowledge generated remains inaccessible, its impact is significantly diminished. By integrating social media into the academic ecosystem, Nigerian universities can ensure that research outputs reaches a wider audience, including students, policymakers, industry professionals and the citizens. It is time to move with the trends and embrace digital innovation to unlock the full potentials of academic research in Nigeria.

Article written by:

Adenegan Kehinde Emmanuel, PhD

Ag. Rector, Adeyemi College of Technology, AFUED Ondo

&

Oluwatope Ayodeji Oludola, PhD

Professor, Department of Engineering, 

Faculty of Computing Science and Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

NB: All images in the article are AI generated, beside the only Google image.