Friends and colleagues were asking me, why do we need a blog?

As for university’s higher administration level, blog with ump domain will resulting in the increasing number of visibility. And these increasing numbers will give a big impact to the webometric rankings. As for an academia, how do this webometric and our career relate to one another? We need a rigid reason on why do we have to start blogging.

Since years before, I looked at the Academia Blog as an online teaching portfolio. It is a platform where academia can share and promoting him/herself as an Academia as well as a Researcher. By having an online teaching portfolio like academic blog, it help others to know more about what are your research interest, your publication, your so-called advertisement looking for a Master/PhD students, your honors and awards received and etc.

This is among the reasons on why do we as an Academician, need to blog:

1. To improve your work
2. To maximise the impact of our work in academia and beyond

Based on LSE Report on Academic blogging, there are three (3) kinds of blog post that could be practice by academia. First, blogging for content will tells people about research you are doing. Just ask yourself this simple question, “How do the potential students out there know that you have an active grants and is looking for a Master or PhD students?”. Blogging on this given domain, which is free, is the best answer. As nowadays, people use the browser and search everything there. By having an active blog, the possibility that your post match and found by the search engine will increase. This is an open and free medium to let others know what is your interest and expert area.

Second, blogging for comments will contribute to public conversation and debate, using your research and/or experience as the materials. This is were ‘sharing is caring’ concept take parts. You can also share any tutorial, pseudo code or even the novelty of your proposed algorithm in your own academic blog and open it for discussion and debate.

The last one is blogging for reportage would include write-ups of events you went to, or things you’ve read. This is exactly what am I doing right now. This can be so good for those who love to read new books and love to share your opinion regarding the books with audience.

Keep everything about your life as an academia in this online platform. Treats it as a one stop center that everyone in the world can learn about your research, knowledge and expertise.

“Avoid loser. If you hear someone use the words ‘impossible’, ‘never’,’too difficult’ too often, drop him or her from your social network” – Nassim Nicholas Taleb

So, how can you start your academic blog?

1. Prepare your CV. As CV contains everything about your life as an academician. The academic position, education background, research interest, publication, honors and awards, learning and teaching experience and etc.
2. Check either your account for ump blog already exist or not by writing this url: blog.ump.edu.my/youreCommUsername . If it’s direct you to “Sorry, this is somewhat so embarassing” meaning that you didn’t have the account yet. Do contact the ptmk (Sr. Faizul) or library (Pn. Aishah) to activate your account
3. Start with the simple step. By creating Pages and customize your blog layout. It’s quite easy since we are using the template and drag and drop item. If you have lots of allocation money from your active grants, then hire a student to help you manage the blog.

Wishing you all the best. This is not about helping the university increasing the webometric ranking only. But it also about helping yourself to promote you to the outside world. Let the internet and networks do their work!

Love,

Dr. Sara Zulkifli