How to join in the NSMNSS tweetchat

There are lots of tools to help you take part in a tweet chat.

The simplest way is to read the posts using  #NSMNSS and comment using either Twitter or Tweetdeck and that is great! However, if you want to make a comment, retweet or respond, you will have to remember to type in #NSMNSS.

Alternatively you can login to http://tweetchat.com/room/NSMNSS then enter your Twitterhandle and password. This will take you to a page where everyone will be tweeting about NSMNS. All of your posts will automatically end with the letters #NSMNSS without you typing this in which makes chatting easier. Tweetchat also allows you to make your own comments, retweet or reply to others taking part in the chat.

We really want you to be part of the chat and we'd like as many of your fellow tweeps to take part (so do invite your followers along), but there are a couple of things to think about before joining us. We suggest that just before you take part in the tweetchat, that you let your twitter followers know that you are taking part in a tweetchat. Although you may have a burning interest in new social media and social research it’s possible that not all of your followers have the same interests(!) so may not want to be bombarded with messages. For the same reason, we would suggest that if your twitter account automatically updates your Facebook page you disable the automatic update before starting. After the tweetchat is finished, you can re-enable this function easily.

If you still have questions about how to take part please either contact the NSMNSS team on twitter @NSMNSS or send us an email and one of us will help you out.

So how will it work?

1. At the start of the session, introduce your self, where are you from and what your key interests or activities relating to social media and social research are
2. @NSMNSS will ask questions as the discussion progresses, each question will start with Q followed by a number e.g.Q1), Q2) etc. Please include the Q) number in your responses so that we all know what question you are responding to.
3. Remember to include #NSMNSS in your tweets, this is where using www.tweetchat.com can help as it will do it for you automatically.
4. RT as often as you want, that way people not involved in the chat can find out what we are all talking about and hopefully they will join in the conversation or even better sign up for ongoing network activities.
5. As well as learning from each other, we are also here to forge links between different disciplines and different sectors, and have a bit of fun along the way, but please remember not everybody has the same sense of humour!

The conversation and discussion doesn’t need to stop at the end of the tweetchat. Far from it, in fact we would love you to keep posting your thoughts on using the #NSMNSS or join in lengthier discussions on the Methodspace forum hosted by SAGE - http://www.methodspace.com/profile/NSMNSS. You can also view videos and blogs from our home page: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/nsmnss/ If you haven’t already signed up to the network please do, this will mean you will receive updates with NSMNSS news over 2012/13: https://www.research.net/s/NSMNSS

With thanks to http://chat2lrn.wordpress.com/chatter-house-rules/ (#chat2lrn) and http://lrnchat.wordpress.com/ (#lrnchat) for the inspiration and guidance.

What’s all this about a tweet chat?

New Social Media, New Social Science? is an online and offline community of practice exploring how social media are affecting the way we conduct social research and interact with research participants.

Tweet chats are simply pre-arranged virtual conversations, usually with a facilitator, around a theme and grouped around a single #hashtag. They are a quick and easy way to engage a number of people who share a common interest or challenge.

Our tweet chats are an opportunity for members from different countries to take place in a real-time discussion of the key issues, help frame the agenda for network and share real-life experiences of researching in the digital age. We will be holding a tweet chat the week before each of our face to face events and may host more if the group feels they are a useful medium. Each tweet chat will have a theme for the network to explore and this will help shape the issues covered by the network over the course of the year.

Our first tweetchat will take place 4-5pm (BST) on 17th July 2012. Join us by following #NSMNSS.

Read the next blog for information about how to join the chat.