Research communication

All employees have a personal page on Lnu.se which has a Swedish version and an English version. You are responsible for making sure that your  information is correct in both languages.

It is important that you publish information about yourself and your research on your personal page, as well as a portrait photo. In this way, journalists, decision-makers, research colleagues, financiers and others who conduct a search for you or your field of research on Lnu.se or Google can find what they are looking for.

• Example of a personal page: Cornelia Witthöft (Swe/Eng)

Title and contact details

The information in the box at the top of the page is retrieved from databases in the university's various systems. You can't change it yourself.

• 
  Name: Fetched from Primula. Contact the Office of Human Resources if the name is incorrect.
• Job title: Primula. Contact the Office of Human Resources to change the title permanently. Contact the Communications Office to change to or from a temporary title (e.g. Head of Department or Dean) or to/from associate professor.
• Faculty/department/division: Fetched from Primula.
• Phone number, room: The switching system. Contact Service Center to make changes.
• E-mail: The account management system. Contact the IT department to make changes.

Personal photo

Add a photo of yourself – it makes a difference! A portrait photo on your personal page gives a welcoming impression and makes it easier for others to find you. That is why we encourage you to book a photo session with one of our photographers in Kalmar or Växjö. Read more about how to book a personal photo session.

The photo will appear on your personal page and can also be downloaded in high resolution. You can refer media to the page, or use the photo yourself in, for example, journals or book projects. For external use, the photographer’s name must be stated – usually “Linnaeus University”.

If you are unable to come to us, you are welcome to take your own photo (or ask someone to help you). Choose a light, plain-coloured background and make sure the lighting is good. The photo should be taken at a suitable close distance with a mobile phone or camera.

Send the photo in its original format to the Communications Office – bear in mind that some email apps automatically reduce image quality if you don’t select the option to send in full size.

If you use a private photo, you must ensure that it may be used under a Creative Commons licence – meaning that third parties (such as Linnaeus University or the media) are also free to use it.

Presentation text in Swedish

Directly below the information box, you will find the button Edit my information. Click on this to add or update information about you.

• Tick whether you are a teacher and/or researcher. This information is important as it is used to improve the search function at Lnu.se.
• Choose whether or not your mobile number should be shown (as a standard, it is not shown).
• Below this, there a four boxes in which you add texts about yourself and the work you do. If you do not write anything, the field is not shown. Write in Swedish on your Swedish page and in English on your English page! Remember to include keywords that describe your work. Keep in mind that visitors to Lnu.se have different backgrounds and knowledge.
  • In the field About me, write a summary about yourself, your background and your work at Linnaeus University.
  • In the field Teaching, describe the teaching that you do.
  • In the field Research, describe the research you conduct.
  • In the field Commissions, describe any commissions you have, within or outside the university.
• When you are done, click Save.

Presentation text in English

Go to Staff (the English version of Medarbetare), Lnu.se/en/medarbetare, and click your name in the top right corner. Alternatively, go to your personal page in English at Lnu.se/en. Do as under the heading Presentation text in Swedish above, but write the texts in English.

Research groups and projects

The research groups to which you belong and the research projects that you are working with or have worked with will be shown automatically on your personal page. If these are not correct, contact the Communications Office.

Below the information about you, you will find the button Settings for groups/projects. Normally, there is no point in changing anything, but by clicking it, you can:

• Choose to show the research groups to which you belong and your ongoing and completed research projects as cards, as a list, or not to show them at all.
• When you are done, click Save.

Publications in Diva

At the bottom of your personal page your publications are listed, which are retrieved from the database Diva. When you register a publication, always state your username, your department at the time of publication, research subject, and any research group (check with the research director what applies). If you do not do this, your publications will not be listed in the correct way on Lnu.se.

If there are multiple authors at Linnaeus University for the same publication, you must state the user names of all authors. If you experience problems registering a publication in Diva, please contact our Diva support.

Administer the display of your publications

Log in via Staff or Lnu.se, if you have not already done so, and go to your personal page. In the box with publications, you will find five buttons letting you choose how to show your publications.

- Edit favourite publications

• Under Show, untick any publications that you do not want to show.
• Under Favourite, tick the publications that you want to list first on your list, under the heading Selected publications – that is to say, the publications you think are most important (let us say 3–5).
• Note: Then click on Save.

- Edit publication types

• Under Show, untick any publication types that you do not want to show.
• Drag and release a publication type to arrange them in the order of your preference.
• Note: Then click on Back.

- Edit content types

• Untick any content type that you do not want to show.
• Note: Then click on Back.

- Choose sort order

• Choose how you want to sort within each respective publication type and Selected publications.

- Add to Diva

• Links directly to Diva to let you enter a publication there.

Additional content – for example links or documents

You can add videos, links, documents, and more to your personal page. Perhaps you have taken part in a podcast, or want to share information about interesting collaborations, or something else? Contact the Communications Office to get help with his.

Tags - which make it easier to find you via search

So-called tags connect you and your personal page to the relevant faculty, department, research groups, research projects, research subjects, teaching subjects, etc. The tags are shown in the grey box on your personal page. Contact the Communications Office for help with adding the right tags.

It is important that every research group has its own page on Lnu.se. This in order for the university’s research to be visible to other researchers, financiers, decision-makers, collaboration partners, journalists, organisations, the trade and industry, etc.

On the research group page, all information that is relevant for the group is listed. There should be a Swedish version and preferably also an English one.

A research group page should contain the following:

• Name of the group (page heading)
• A picture illustrating the group's research
• An introduction that gives a summary of the group’s research
• A description of the group’s research
• A contact person and a list of group members

You can also add, for example:

• News items and calendar events (makes the page look more “alive”)
• Research projects, ongoing and completed
• Publication, in the form of a link to Diva
• Photos, videos, link to blog, list of links, and much more

To create a research group page, contact the research communications officers. You should contact them also if you would like to make changes to a group page, if the group is dissolved or becomes part of another research group. The research group’s contact person is responsible for the content and for making sure that the page is updated.

• Example of a smaller research group: Cross-Laminated Timber
• Example of a larger research group with sub-groups: Wood Building Technology

It is important that every research project has its own page on Lnu.se. This in order for the university’s research to be visible to other researchers, financiers, decision-makers, collaboration partners, journalists, organisations, the trade and industry, etc.

On the research project page, all information that is relevant for the project is listed. There should be a Swedish version and preferably also an English one.

A research project page should contain the following:

• Name of the project (page heading)
• A picture illustrating the project
• An introduction that gives a summary of the project
• Facts about the project (project manager, members of staff, organisations, financiers, etc.)
• A contact person

You can also add a link to publications in Diva, pictures, videos, lists of links and much else.

To create a page for a research project, fill in the form or the Word file here. The Communications Office will then create the page based on your order. The project manager is responsible for the content on the page and for making sure that the page is updated. Contact the Communications Office if you need help making changes to the page or to inform that the project has been completed.

• Example of project: Fundamental understanding of moisture

It is important that every seed project has its own page on Lnu.se. This in order for the university’s research to be visible to other researchers, financiers, decision-makers, collaboration partners, journalists, organisations, the trade and industry, etc.

On the seed project page, all information that is relevant for the project is listed. There should be a Swedish version and preferably also an English one.

A seed project page should contain the following:

• Name of the project (page heading)
• A picture illustrating the project
• An introduction that gives a summary of the project
• Facts about the project (project manager, members of staff, financier, etc.)
• A contact person

To create a page for a seed project, fill in the form or the Word file here. The Communications Office will then create the page based on your order. The project manager is responsible for the content on the page and for making sure that the page is updated. Contact the Communications Office if you need help making changes to the page or to inform that the project has been completed.

• Example of project: Using natural language models for extracting drug-related problems

It is important that also doctoral student projects have their own pages on Lnu.se. This in order for the university’s research to be visible to other researchers, financiers, decision-makers, collaboration partners, journalists, organisations, the trade and industry, etc.

On the doctoral student project page, all information that is relevant for the project is listed. There should be a Swedish version and preferably also an English one.

A doctoral student project page should contain the following:

• Name of the project (page heading)
• A picture illustrating the project
• An introduction that gives a summary of the project
• Facts about the project (doctoral student, supervisor, any organisations, any financiers, etc.)
• A description of the project content

You can also add pictures, videos, lists of links, and much more.

To create a page for a doctoral student project, fill in the form or the Word file here. The Communications Office will then create the page based on your order. As a doctoral student, you are responsible for the content on the page and for making sure that the page is updated. Contact the Communications Office if you need help making changes to the page or to inform that the project has been completed.

• Example of doctoral student project: Building systems of CLT and concrete

What is a podcast?

Normally, a podcast is a series of audio episodes that are published online, which you can subscribe to via a so-called RSS feed. The audio files are published with some regularity and are stored at an external podcast hosting platform, which makes it possible for many people to listen at the same time.

Forskarprat – Linnaeus University’s podcast on research

Linnaeus University’s research podcast is called Forskarprat ("Researcher talk"). On this podcast, researchers at Linnaeus University are invited to share interesting aspects of their research. The Communications Office is responsible for the podcast. If you have proposals on guests, or would like to take part yourself, you are welcome to contact us!

Would you like to start your own podcast?

If you are thinking about starting your own podcast, the Communications Office can support you in the following ways:

• Initial discussion on idea, purpose, content and target group
• Discussion on in what contexts a podcast is a good way to reach the intended audience
• Help with studio recording (if time permits)
• Publication on a suitable webpage on Lnu.se

The person producing the podcast is responsible for the following:

• Arranging subscription at a podcast hosting platform
• Handling administration and publication at the podcast hosting platform
• Planning of content for the episodes
• Programme host and guests
• Recording of the conversation (unless it takes place in the Communications Office’s studio)
• Editing of the audio file

Tips and questions

If you have tips for Forskarprat or questions concerning starting your own podcast, please contact Anders Olsson.

Do you have an idea for an interesting video about your research? Do you have something that is visual and interesting to present and talk about in a video?

Contact the media production team at the Communications Office and we will discuss idea, purpose, target group, content and in what situations video is a good option. We produce different types of research-related videos. Most often, the videos are reports/features for Lnu.se or our social media accounts.

Contact media production via this form.
(Note that this form is a request to produce a video, not an order).

A blog can be used to communicate your research to the wider community, but also as an easy way to publish news items on a webpage for a research group or the like.

Linnaeus University uses the blog tools Wordpress.  By creating a so-called RSS feed on a page, the blog posts will be shown automatically. An example of how you can work with your blog as a news list can be found at DISA (the heading Short notices).

• If you would like to start a blog, please contact the Communications Office.
• Here you will find a cheet sheet/manual for the blog tool.
• A selection of Linnaeus University’s blogs can be found on Blogg.lnu.se.

Calendar events

If you are arranging an event that you want to show on Lnu.se, we can help you by adding the event to the calendar on Lnu.se. The criteria for an event to be included in the calendar on Lnu.se is that Linnaeus University is organiser or co-organiser. Fill in the form for calendar events to make sure we have all the necessary information.

Note – all calendar events for the faculties, for instance seminars and dissertations, are created at the faculty in question. Read more via the link above.

Conference or event

If you are planning a conference or an event, physical as well as online, please contact Linnémöten.

Lectures

The Communications Office offers lectures on research communication from different aspects: for doctoral students, researchers, and other contexts. Some examples:

• How do you write in a popular science way?
• How can I reach out with your research?
• How does my personal page on Lnu.se work?
• How do the pages for research groups, research projects and doctoral student projects work?
• How do newspapers and other media think?
• How to write a debate article?

Press and media training

We also offer support and advice on all press and media-related issues.

Contact the research communications officers for requests on lectures or advice.

Research news most often involve new findings, often in the form of scientific articles, but they can, of course, also involve other things.

Contact the research communicators as soon as possible when your article has been accepted for publication, also if the exact date for publication has not yet been determined. Assume that it can take three to four weeks to produce a “communication package” for a major research news item.

In order for a news item and any press release to turn out as good as possible (and in popular science format), you should send detailed information to the research communicators.

The supporting documents need to contain the following information:

• A summary of the results (preferably in Swedish). State what should be the main message. That is to say: What is the result, how can it be applied, what is extra important, anything unexpected or controversial, etc?
  At this stage, the text does not have to particularly well formulated, but should clarify the research results, to whom and how, what the benefits are, and in what context the results can be of importance.
• Full original heading and link to the scientific article/text, DOI number, as well as other reference information.
• Contact details for a maximum of two spokespersons, title, mobile number, and email.
• Information on date of publication and/or contact details to the journal’s press office or the equivalent, and information on any embargo.
• Information on any co-authors, financing, collaboration, etc.
• Email addresses to own contacts (colleagues, journalists, etc.) who wish to receive the press release.
• Pictures – portrait photos of the researchers in question and preferably one or several illustrative photos with a clear connection to the research in question. The photos should preferably by high-resolution photos (300dpi).
  

  NOTE – It is of utmost importance to make sure that all photos, also private ones, can be used in accordance with the Creative Commons regulations; that is to say, can be used freely also by a third party. You should also state who has taken the photo.

Questions concerning photos and their use can be answered by our senior press officer, or one of the university’s photographers.

The responsible research communications officer produces a text proposal based on the information that has been submitted. It is perfectly fine to include proposals or write your own quotes. No text will be published until the responsible researcher has read and approved the material.

Once the news item has been written, Linnaeus University has access to a number of channels for dissemination of the research. A research news item can be published in the following channels (if needed, in different forms and adapted versions):

• News in Lnu.se and Employees, Swedish and English.
• Press release from Linnaeus University, nationally and internationally.
• Expert answers, Swedish and English.
• IDW (Germany) http://idw-online.de/pages/en, English.
• AlphaGalileo https://www.alphagalileo.org
• Science X https://sciencex.com
• Social media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, SnapChat, YouTube.

Active on social media? Do not forget to state your own usernames and other relevant hashtags and users.

The person or persons who are listed a contact person in a press release are expected to be available for interviews, at least shortly after publication. Your calendar must not, of course, be empty, but you must have some time room for answering questions and doing interviews and any photo sessions.

Licentiate and doctoral theses, dissertations

• See separate instructions at your faculty.
• Checklists for the production of printed theses.

A news item and a subsequent press release often come hand in hand, but the latter is not by any means self-evident or compulsory. A press release should be relatively short and contain the most important facts. The news item, which can be provided as a link in the press release, can be considerably longer and contain more detailed text.

Via the database in our press tool, we reach journalists around the world. Send lists for each respective press release are established by performing a search for journalists who are active within certain subjects and/or geographic areas.

Press releases are only published via the senior press officer or the faculties’ research communication officers.

In order to be able to carry out a just assessment of the news value or the journalistic interest, we need adequate information. Either in the form of a more or less completed news text, or in the form of a popular science summary which, to as large an extent as possible, answers the questions who, where, when, why and how. A press release works best when it deals with topics that affect a large and broad audience.

Press releases cannot be used for pure marketing of, for instance, events, student recruitment, or conferences.

Press invitation
When it is possible for journalists to take part at an event and/or meet relevant persons for interviews, or when something happens at a specific time, we can send invitations to journalists.

• Such an invitation can be formal and will then be sent by the senior press officer, including information on an appointed contact person
• It can also be informal, which means that it is sent by a member of staff or responsible organiser (see press tips below). In this case, it is done entirely without involvement from the Communications Office or senior press officer.

Press tips
All members of staff are free to give tips to journalists (and the public) on, for instance, seminars, conferences, and the like. However, it can be good to inform the senior press officer to make the handling of any questions that may arise smoother in case the tip gets a lot of attention.

At events or happenings that can be assumed to be of interest, without necessarily meeting the criteria for a news item, also the Communications Office may send shorter press tips.

Press conference
Press conferences are arranged only as an exception and in connection to larger events. These are arranged only by the Communications Office (senior press officer).

External monitoring
The senior press officer is responsible for external monitoring and follow-up of what is written about Linnaeus University in different media, both nationally and internationally.

Once a week, a news report is sent from the media monitoring service Meltwater. This weekly report contains a selection of online articles that are connected to Linnaeus University in different ways. Register your interest with the senior press officer if you want to receive this report via email.

Reports can also be created via manual searches on, for instance, individuals, specific words, and time periods. Manual searches can also be conducted for printed articles.

Contact the senior press officer for more information.