Posted to IASSIST on: 2016-07-11
Employer: London School of Economics and Political Science
Employer URL: http://www.lse.ac.uk/home.aspx
Description
The LSE Impact Blog (http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences ) is an award-winning, highly popular blog aimed at academics, researchers, and HE professionals. It publishes regular blog posts on scholarly publishing, research methods, and maximizing the impact of academic research. Reaching an audience of over 80,000 unique visitors a month, the blog is widely recognised as a world leader in new forms of academic communication.
The post of Editor is suitable for a motivated and enthusiastic individual with experience working with academic writing and a keen interest in the social sciences and academic impact. The individual must be interested in debates around the future of academic communication, measuring academic impact, social media and metrics, non-traditional academic outputs, and knowledge exchange.
The Editor will be responsible for all aspects of the day to day running of the blog. The role involves commissioning blog posts from a wide range of internal and external contributors; editing copy and giving feedback to contributors in a constructive and positive manner; maintaining a regular flow of a minimum of 3 blog posts per week; publishing contributions using WordPress; and utilising social media to disseminate posts and boost engagement.
Part of the role will also involve assisting in an exciting side project which aims to help LSE understand the impact of its public-facing blogs. Working with the project’s Research Assistant and the Social Media Manager, tasks may include event planning, promotion of the project through social media, and working with colleagues to shape project direction.
Key tasks for the Editor will be:
- Plan, organise and maintain a regular supply of blog posts for the LSE Impact Blog (minimum of three per week) from academics and higher education professionals, using social media, other blogs and publications, and new developments in higher education to inform what is commissioned.
- Follow a style guide and edit blog posts accordingly to ensure the writing is of a high quality, accessible to a wide audience, and evidence-based where appropriate.
- Communicate sensitively with contributors about any improvements or concerns with their submitted blog posts, liaising with the LSE Impact Blog’s Advisory Board in any difficult or sensitive cases.
- Handle technical aspects of the blog including publishing content through WordPress, approving comments, updating the look and feel of the blog where appropriate, managing subscriber options, and using plug-ins.
- Utilise Google Analytics and report on the impact and reach of the blog to the Social Media Manager and senior stakeholders around the School.
- Harness social media to disseminate blog posts widely and create discussion and debate around the ideas developed on the site (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.). The person appointed will be expected to keep up to date with the development of current social media channels.
- Work with the Social Media Manager and other colleagues on a forthcoming side project on the impact of LSE Blogs – tasks may include event organisation, promotion, advising on topics such as altmetrics, digital scholarship, and academic impact.
Essential:
- A BA/BSc degree or equivalent
- Thorough understanding of debates and innovations in academic communication, measuring academic impact, non-traditional academic outputs, open access, and knowledge exchange.
- At least two year’s worth of experience using WordPress blogging platform and social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter.
- Experience of writing for blogs or publications with an academic audience.
- Good understanding of the use of social media within universities, think tanks, research groups and government.
- Editing experience and close attention to detail.
- Strong commitment to readable, high quality written communication and accessible presentation of academic discussions.
- Ability to communicate effectively and confidently in both spoken and written communication.
- Ability to work independently, and manage the blog on a daily basis.
- The ability to work as part of the large Communications Division team and contribute to group projects
- Strong organisation and planning skills to ensure a steady flow of blog posts, working with a variety of contributors
- Examples of having organised own work and met deadlines in accordance with guidelines given by manager
- The ability to be very well organised and able to monitor and progress many tasks reliably and efficiently in order to ensure deadlines are met.
- Ability to evaluate and analyse which blog post topics and social media updates prove popular with followers and readers.
Desired:
- A Masters degree in the social sciences, humanities, or communication
- Experience of organising events
- Understanding of reputation risk and when to refer potentially controversial material to the Advisory Board.
- Commitment to excellence in professional communication and to promoting engagement with social science.
Archived on: 2016-07-14