Source: Andrew Thoesen/andrewthoesen.com
Tips to help you boost your research, attract recruits, and share resources.
Reading: How to create a lab website
11. May 2020
For some researchers, self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to create and launch a personal academic website.
It’s a relatively small investment of time , which can pay off in terms of career progression by giving researchers greater control over how their expertise is presented online. It can also help researchers attract graduate students, share resources with the scientific community, and publicize their work to the general public.
It’s also an important benefit for researchers considering pursuing an independent career to start.
But it can be difficult to know where to start.
Generic developers like Squarespace and Wix offer ready-to-use templates and web analytics tools for a monthly fee. There are also resources geared specifically towards academics, such as ScienceSites, Owlstown, and Academic Web Pages, which offer website design, content development, and maintenance assistance for those with little or no website building experience .
Before employing such a service, researchers need to plan the focus of their website. It will likely take 2 to 4 weeks to build (depending on other requirements) and they should also take time to update it once it’s started, if needed.
To Andrew Thoesen, Postdoctoral Fellow at Bio -Inspired Robotics Technology and Healthcare Lab at Arizona State University (whose home page is above) their website has been invaluable.
See also: How to Get a Free Domain Name in 6 Simple Steps
“Whether I communicate my work quickly at conferences through hosted videos or insert them, to show my reach and work for career advancement it has come in handy from the day I created it,” says Thoesen.
“The graphic equivalent of a resume on my Having my phone handy – many site builders are now optimizing for mobile viewing – improves any elevator pitch I need to make. It also acts as a great confidence booster to quickly review your greatest hits.”
Nature Index spoke to three researchers who shared their website – experiences and top tips for getting started.
Ritu Ra Mann, postdoctoral researcher, chemical engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts Academic website: rituraman.com
My motivation: I started my website in my second year of grad school. I bought the domain RituRaman.com and found that people in my line of work were googling my name. I figured I could either have them sort multiple pages of random links or give them a well-curated resource. That’s when I decided to build a website properly.
The Challenge: I was intimidated by web design because I was more of a ‘verbal’ than a ‘visual “ person am . After checking a few [platform] options, I settled on WordPress because it’s essentially the same as Microsoft Word in terms of how you use it to place words and images on a page. I use a standard template and fill it with photos and videos professionally shot throughout my career.
What I do with it: My website has evolved into a dynamic resume. I see it as a one stop showcase of myself, professionally. In addition to highlighting my achievements in research and teaching, my website also showcases my outreach activities focused on advancing women and underrepresented minorities in STEM.
I get a few emails almost every week from young scientists telling how my videos or blogs have helped them navigate something difficult. It makes me feel like spending time on my site is worth it.
Top Tip: Be sure to link your social media accounts (Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram) with your website. This is important for Search Engine Page Rank Optimization (SEO) to increase your visibility.
James Dahlman, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia Academic website: dahlmanlab.org
See also: How Long Does It Take To Design A Logo?
My motivation: I set up my website a few months before I started my lab at Georgia Tech. I argued that the success of my career will depend on recruiting good students. To achieve this goal, students needed to know that I existed.
The Challenge: Setting up the website was a challenge as I wanted an informative platform without being cluttered Surface. Even now, it still takes a lot of effort to update it with new information and my students support me in this.
What I do with it: My website has been activated for me, excellent students and to recruit postdocs.I also have a section called “Resources” for outside labs to access computational codes we’ve created to analyze large datasets. Several labs had emailed me asking for access to our codes, so I figured it would be easier to put them online to share with the scientific community.
Top -Tip: A picture is worth a thousand words. An effective website interface should include interesting images to visually enlighten its visitors.
Sharda Umanath, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Claremont Mckenna College, Claremont, California Academic website: umanathlab.com
My motivation: I wanted to be in control of my web presence so people could learn more about me and my research .
The Challenge: I wanted my website to present information in an accessible and professional manner, but I had little experience creating one, so I hired ScienceSites to do it Design and maintenance of my website website. The company has a clear sense of what researchers need and makes great suggestions.
What I do with it: In addition to showcasing my research, my website also serves as a recruitment tool. for scientific interns and study participants. Having a polished online presence also helps me recruit community members who may be interested in participating in my research.
I also wanted to instill a sense of legitimacy and excitement in my undergraduate research assistants by I feature them on my website.
Top Tip: If funding allows, seek professional help to update your website and make a lasting impression and impact.
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