A guide to using ResearchGate and other academic social network sites

Abstract

Academic social networking sites (namely ResearchGate or Academia.edu) might first come to mind to deposit a paper immediately upon publication. However, popularity doesn't necessarily make these sites the best place for the research to be discovered and shared. In this brief guide, you will find out what ResearchGate (RG) is and is not, why institutional repositories (such as Spiral) should be used, and how you can use academic social networking sites more effectively without breaching copyright rules.