Ann E Williams and Melissa A. Woodacre
The purpose of this paper is twofold: the first aim is theoretical – to review extant literature on academic social networks, while considering current limitations and potential…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: the first aim is theoretical – to review extant literature on academic social networks, while considering current limitations and potential avenues for future research; the second objective is practical – to introduce an illustrative comparison guide that researchers can use to identify and distinguish between the functionalities of popular academic social networking sites (ASNSs), including Academia.edu, Mendeley.com, ResearchGate.net, Zotero.org, and Google Scholar.
Design/methodology/approach
The review of research is descriptive and conceptual.
Findings
The overarching outcomes of the review suggest that research on academic social networks falls into two primary arenas – promises (i.e. potential benefits to the academic community) and perils (i.e. reservations expressed by scholars). The authors recommend that a greater focus on the unique characteristics and utilities of specific sites and a more robust understanding of scholars’ use preferences and practices is warranted in future and ongoing research.
Originality/value
This is the first review of ASNSs to provide comparative descriptions for scholars to utilize when making decisions about adoption, use, and research.