Society for Neuroscience: Tweeters and bloggers needed!
Without question, the most anticipated neuroscience event is the Society for Neuroscience conference (SfN), to be held this year in San Diego, California November 12-16, 2016. However, the monstrosity of a meeting that it is–with roughly 30,000 attendees, and posters, symposiums and lectures on every imaginable neuro-related topic–the event can be a daunting affair for even the most seasoned SfN-goer.
To help our community navigate through this neuro-maze, PLOS Neuroscience has been at the meeting the past two years, equipped with a team of talented scientists, students and writers. Last year our bloggers covered their favorite sessions, ranging from how the brain regulates sleep and wake states, by Jeremy Borninger, to the pressing issue of sex differences in neuroscience research, by Aparna Shah.
Jeremy says of his blogging experience:
“Blogging with PLOS helped me solidify ideas and concepts by forcing me to make the subject understandable to a wide audience. Unlike writing a ‘review’ paper or something more academic, blogging ensures that I emphasize the core concepts of the subject that’s being discussed. This is very rewarding because then when I go to write a review or primary research paper, I can draw on the knowledge I compiled to write a good and informative blog post.”
Aparna adds:
“Blogging for PLOS Neuro at SfN15 motivated me to take detailed notes and read background material related to a topic that really interests me. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to share my reflections on the talk with such a wide audience through social media!”
During the meeting, our social media-savvy team was busy tweeting the conference highlights. Following these live-tweets is greatly beneficial to those unable to attend a meeting in person, but the experience of tweeting and blogging can be invaluable for those on the other side of twitter stream as well. Caitlin MacKenzie describes her experience at a recent Ecology meeting:
“I had expected that the live-tweeting and blogging would make me a little frantic and prone to distraction, but I noticed instead that [it] forced me to sit still. In previous years … I would have jumped into the room for a talk or two, and then left to find coffee, or a talk on temperate plants or National Parks. The work of sitting, staying, and making deeper connections across talks in the same room would be valuable for anyone.”
We are returning to SfN this year and are planning to once again cover the conference from head to toe by tweeting and blogging the hottest news and events. But we can’t do it alone! If you’re attending SfN and would like to join PLOS in helping to share the meeting highlights, by tweeting or blogging your favorite sessions, please get in touch! (When tweeting at any meeting, please remember to observe all conference rules and always check with speakers before live-tweeting.)
As a member of the PLOS #SfN16 team, you will receive the stunning PLOS Neuroscience t-shirt! We would also like to thank you for your contribution by inviting you to attend a reception Monday evening to meet PLOS editors and other team members.
We hope you’re as excited for SfN as we are! If you’d like be part of PLOS’s efforts to share the wealth of neuroscience from this year’s meeting, we’d love to hear from you. See you soon in sunny San Diego!