Social media platforms, like Twitter, are a good source of real-time information and a great way to make connections with people in your field.
Through Twitter you can discover and share new information, keep an eye on what others in your field are saying, and develop new contacts. To stay up-to-date with Twitter, you can create your own account and follow individuals or organisations in your field, or use Twitter’s search box to find out what is being said about your chosen topic.
Other social and professional networking tools, include ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Mendeley and The Conversation.
Citation sharing tools such as Zotero (add-on for the Firefox browser) and CiteULike can help you find, manage and share references with other researchers in your field.
If you are new to using social media, this guide from Newcastle University is a helpful introduction to a variety of tools.
See Making the most of social networking activities from the Open University, for further advice on using social networks to help you keep up to date.
Also see the Getting Yourself Known guide from Exeter University for more information about how to promote your research activities.
Blogs are a good way to keep up-to-date with new developments and opinions. As well as personal blogs, companies, organisations and institutions utilise blogs to disseminate timely information. Many blogs allow you to use RSS feeds so that new content is automatically delivered to you.
You can set up your own blog using software such as TypePad or WordPress.
See this guide from Exeter University for advice on what makes a good blog post.
See this LibGuide from Oxford University for recommendations of Health related blogs and podcasts.