EarthScope Social Media: please connect with us

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/16 at 03:23 AM

EarthScope is a combined infrastructure and science program funded by the US National Science Foundation, focused on understanding the structure, dynamics, and evolution of North America, using the observational tools of seismology (USArray), geodesy (Plate Boundary Observatory, InSAR, and high resolution topography), and scientific drilling (San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth). EarthScope is also a community of scientists, decision makers, educators, students, and interested public.

The EarthScope National Office acts as a conduit between a number of entities, from EarthScope scientists and facilities, to educators at all levels, to the public. A number of media systems have flourished, and along with more traditional media, can be used to enhance the process of sharing scientific, educational, and socially relevant information. 75% of computer users aged 12-49, 50% of users aged 50-65 and 25% of users aged 65+ belong to a social network or use another form of social media on a regular basis. We have developed a multipronged effort to connect the EarthScope community. We use the extensive logging and interaction capabilities to explore what is effective:

• The EarthScope Listserv has more than 1200 email addresses and is an occasional direct blast of mostly announcements.
• The EarthScope Blog is designed to be a narrative communication of activities underway by the EarthScope National Office, the EarthScope Steering Committee (and its Cyberinfrastructure and Education and Outreach subcommittees) as well as by our Facility partners and other friends.
• The EarthScope Facebook page is an active community page. Please like us and contribute to our news feed and content.
• The EarthScope Twitter feed is a complementary microblogging service.
• The EarthScope YouTube channel provides a mechanism to share videos about EarthScope.
• The EarthScope Linked In group is a professional connector for linked in members interested in EarthScope.
• The EarthScope Google Plus site enables EarthScope to be part of the various google plus circles.

Mrs. Wendy Bohon Clarey (current ASU Ph.D. candidate) is spearheading our social media deployment. We have devised the following vision for our social media effort:

• Offer high quality science content in a variety of formats that appeal to various age groups
• Increase public awareness of ES science
• Communicate timely information
• Engage interactively with the public
• Provide an informal venue for discussion between scientists and the public
• Allow ES scientists, students, etc to share photos/stories/work and engage in discussion
• Increase brand recognition

Our content guidelines are the following:

• New ES products/info is first priority
• ES in the news
• New products/info from partner organizations
• Science or hazard related events
• Timely or relevant news
• Education related items
• Highlights of ES science, activities, photos, etc.

The social media landscape is constantly changing. It is important to have a presence within it with regular updates and modifications. After having rolled the platforms out and distributed content, our next goal is to build the online community so that it is self sustaining. Join us! Comment, upload content, be active, interact, connect!

Update from March 2012: a short report from the latest Insights on ES social media is available: http://insights.asu.edu/socialmedia.html as is a presentation delivered by Wendy Bohon to the Earthquake Country Alliance.