Developing a distinctive digital research profile & network

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a common question and one that you have probably not heard of since your formative years. However, in a world increasingly disrupted by digital technologies, experienced academics are (or at least should be) asking themselves how do they adapt to the new digital landscape. Whilst early career academics will be looking at the opportunities that digital technology can offer them to develop their profile, access new networks and extend the reach and impact of their research outputs. So the question is not so much about “What do you want to be when you grow up?” as “What type of academic do you want to be in the digital world?” In this chapter, we will be looking at some of the key questions that academics of all ages need to address, before focusing on how they can develop a distinctive academic profile that will enable them to connect with, and make the most of, the network opportunities that are available to them in a digital landscape. To paraphrase Ahmed & Olander (2012) in a world gone digital, it doesn’t matter who you were or how good you were yesterday, the digital world means that you need to recalibrate, set a new direction, understand the metrics that matter and multiply your contribution to academic knowledge and practice