Impact of Ibero-American science and technology in twitter

Abstract

© 2016, University of La Laguna. All rights reserved.Introduction. The information published on the Internet is surrounded by a turbulence that makes it unquantifiable. Therefore, the analysis of this ocean of information requires its breakdown into specific areas and categories. In this sense, the dissemination of information on science and technology through Twitter is the object of this research study. Method. The objective is to determine the importance acquired by social networks in the dissemination of science and technology information and their influence in the democratisation of information. The study is based on social network analysis, which allows us to visualise through graphs each of the connections and communities that exist in these entities. Results. The study took into account the analysis of the Twitter accounts of 31 Ibero-American organisations in order to identify the kinds of information they disseminate and to determine whether these organisations perform their main function: the dissemination of science and technology generated by scientific institutions and researchers. Conclusions. There is a growing use of Twitter as a source of science and technology information, according to indicators of quality, quantity, and the use of resources such as: links, images, text, video, etc. Twitter is used by Ibero-American organisations according to the possibilities of the content they generate. The use of Twitter by these institutions is progressive, but their content is purely institutional.