Academic Networking Sites

Academic networking sites such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, and similar platforms allow scholars to share research, connect with peers, and track readership metrics. While these platforms can increase the visibility of your work, they are not the same as institutional repositories and often operate under commercial business models.

Unlike institutional repositories, which are managed by universities to preserve and provide open access to scholarly work, academic networking sites are privately owned and do not guarantee long-term preservation, copyright compliance, or institutional oversight.

Academic networking platforms provide tools to help you showcase your research, connect with colleagues, and build professional visibility online. Common features include:

• Profile creation: Build an online academic profile listing your publications, research interests, and professional background.
• Networking and collaboration: Follow other researchers, join topic-based discussions, and exchange feedback.
• Analytics and visibility: Some sites provide statistics on reads, citations, and downloads.
• Discoverability: Your work may appear in search results within the platform, making it easier for colleagues to find.

Before creating or updating an academic networking profile, keep in mind that these platforms have limitations and potential risks. Consider the following points to make informed choices about what to share and how to share it:

• Copyright and publisher policies: Uploading publisher PDFs can violate copyright agreements. Always check journal policies using Sherpa/Romeo or your publisher’s website.
• Data privacy: Profiles and uploaded materials may be publicly visible or indexed by search engines.
• Commercial models: Both ResearchGate and Academia.edu are for-profit companies; user data and content may be monetized.
• No long-term preservation: These sites do not guarantee permanent access to your work.

To get the most benefit from academic networking sites while protecting your rights and reputation, follow these best practices when sharing or promoting your work online:

• Share your final, publisher-approved PDF only when journal policy allows.
• Prefer linking to the open version in your institutional repository, such as DigitalCommons@EMU.
• Keep your profile professional and current: add publications, update affiliations, and include your ORCID iD.
• Treat these sites as networking tools, not as permanent archives.

Academic networking platforms can complement your researcher profiles and increase the visibility of your work when used thoughtfully. Pairing these sites with tools like ORCID and DigitalCommons@EMU ensures your scholarship remains discoverable, preserved, and compliant with publisher and funder policies.

Several popular platforms support academic networking and research visibility. Each has different strengths, audiences, and considerations. Use this table to compare their key features and decide which best fits your scholarly goals.

These platforms can help you expand your academic reach, but none replace institutional tools like DigitalCommons@EMU or your ORCID iD for reliable, long-term visibility and preservation.

If you have questions about academic networking sites, help is just a click away. 

• Julia K. Nims, Scholarly Communications Librarian – Contact Julia for help with copyright questions, open access publishing, and author rights.
• Subject Librarians – Get discipline-specific support for research, publishing, and teaching materials.