From their growing use of discussion boards, blogs, wikis, video and podcasts, scientists are learning how to employ Web 2.0 and social media tools to good effect. This presentation gives an overview of which tools they are using and why.

1. Scientists and Social Media
Presented by
BioInformatics
market insights from gene to drug
www.gene2drug.com
© 2009 BioInformatics, LLC www.gene2drug.com 1

2. Introduction
 Conducted by BioInformatics, LLC in conjunction with PJA Advertising + Marketing
 19-question online survey was fielded to selected members of The Science Advisory
Board
 Bi-annual tracking study
 Wave I: 1,510 responses were collected between October 29 and
November 2, 2007
 Wave II: 1,557 scientists participated in this survey between May 27 and
May 30, 2008
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3. The Anthropological Roots of Social Networking
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4. Social Media—1991
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5. Social Media—1995
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6. Social Media—1998
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7. Social Networks Have Evolved
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8. Scientists also use “commercial” social media.
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9. Scientists Join Social Networks Too
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10. A Significant Untapped Opportunity
 Opportunity to engenders sense of community among customers
 Leverage strong sense of shared identity
 Customers can contribute to new product development.
 Share valuable information between supplier and user
 Scientists do not need to be convinced of social media’s utility
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11. Scientists interact with various forms of social media
throughout the day.
Less than 30 minutes 1 to 2 2 to 4 More than Total
30 minutes to 1 hour hours hours 4 hours Respondents
Discussion groups/message boards/forums 57% 27% 12% 3% 1% 722
Online communities/social networking sites 59% 27% 9% 3% 2% 394
Content aggregators/portals/ mashups 44% 31% 16% 5% 5% 326
Blogs 60% 27% 11% 2% 0% 283
Wikis/social bookmarking 55% 30% 10% 2% 2% 231
Podcasts/audiocasts 53% 27% 17% 2% 1% 228
Video content 61% 26% 10% 3% 0% 166
Widgets 56% 22% 12% 7% 2% 96
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12. Social media use has changed since 2007.
61%
Company Web sites 72%
30%
Content aggregators
35%
25%
Editorial Web sites
19%
Online retailers such as VWR and Fisher 29%
28%
Scientific
27%
Printed trade magazines
25%
26%
Printed catalogs or buyer's guides
44%
25%
Third party online portals
19%
30%
User-generated content
27%
2008 (n=1,422)
3%
None of the above 2007 (n=1,362)
3%
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13. Primary social media tools used by scientists
Age Social Media Tools
Discussion boards Social networking
Blogs
21 to 30 and forums sites
(n=204)
57% 37% 27%
Discussion boards Social networking Content
31 to 40 and forums sites aggregators
(n=567)
52% 28% 22%
Discussion boards Content Social networking
41 to 50 and forums aggregators sites
(n=460)
46% 23% 22%
Discussion boards Social networking Content
51 to 55 and forums sites aggregators
(n=165)
38% 18% 17%
Discussion boards Social networking Content
Over 55 and forums sites aggregators
(n=148)
36% 24% 16%
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14. Social media provide scientists with a fresh perspective.
Discover more options
52%
to solve a problem
Faster access to news,
research, and trend 42%
information
Probe more deeply into
a solution than dealing
27%
with a vendor and their
customer references
Participate in active
dialogue with
25%
colleagues and
competitors worldwide
26%
No change
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15. Social media appeals to the most fundamental values of
science —communicating, contributing and collaborating.
Allows me to make a
Facilitates the sharing Makes it easier to
more educated decision
of ideas with research new Simplifies my lab Total
about purchasing new
colleagues and/or the products and/or workflow Respondents
products and/or
scientific community technologies
technologies
Blogs 27% 49% 23% 2% 259
Content aggregators/portals/mashups 39% 13% 42% 6% 455
Discussion groups/message boards 26% 52% 19% 3% 752
Online communities/social networking sites 22% 50% 23% 5% 458
Podcasts/audiocasts 36% 24% 36% 4% 172
Wikis 32% 19% 38% 10% 355
© 2009 BioInformatics, LLC www.gene2drug.com 15

16. Tried-and-true discussion boards still dominate the
social media landscape.
n=1,510
50%
Discussion groups / message boards
Online communities / social networking
31%
sites
Content aggregators / portals / mashups 30%
24%
Wikis
17%
Blogs
11%
Podcasts / audiocasts
Not applicable: I don’t use these tools for
23%
my research and/or professional activities
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17. Insight and opinion from peers provides balance to
vendor-supplied information.
Provides
information to
stay ahead of the
Allows my lab to
competition
operate more
globally
4%
8%
Provides access
Offers more to objective
accurate feedback on
45%
information 21% products and
related to news services from
and trends multiple sources
22%
Offers the ability
to participate in
conversations
with peers
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18. “Visiting” an online community is a form of participation.
Traditional Online Tools
BioTechniques Protocol Guide
Nature Protocols
Protocol Online
Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
Wiley's Current Protocols
Springer Protocols (Humana Press)
Web 2.0/Social Collaboration
The Science Advisory Board
Nature Networks
ScholarOne
InnoCentive
Scientist Solutions
American Chemical Society Member Network
Biomedexperts.com
KnowledgeMesh
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Aware Of (n=1486) Use/Have Used (n=1219)
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19. Scientists agree that social media has influenced their
purchasing decisions—but not the purchasing process.
Strongly Strongly Total
Agree No Opinion Disagree
Agree Disagree Respondents
They have helped me to make a
9% 45% 21% 16% 9% 1,355
more informed decision
They have made the purchasing
4% 23% 39% 25% 10% 1,349
process faster and more efficient
They have had little to no influence
17% 29% 20% 27% 6% 1,355
on the purchasing process
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20. Scientists want content that helps them do their
jobs better.
82%
Application and troubleshooting tips
77%
Protocols
70%
Product reviews
Topic-based chat areas
51%
and discussion forums
49%
Career development information
Experiment results (images)
29%
contributed by members
22%
Webcasts/virtual seminars
20%
Community blog
16%
Personal profiles
13%
Topic-based podcasts
1%
Other
© 2009 BioInformatics, LLC www.gene2drug.com 20

21. Suppliers can tap into social media.
Blogs
Social
Social
Networks Bookmarks
Podcasts
Video
User
Sharing
Reviews
Rating
Systems
Wikis
Collaborative
Ranking
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22. Monitor and participate in third party sites.
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23. Integrate social media into traditional MARCOMM.
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24. Make your site a destination for what life scientists
care about.
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25. Let users talk back.
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26. Link to what’s hot.
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27. Advertise on the right blogs.
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28. Monitor the conversation.
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29. Find your Influentials.
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30. Deputize the most devoted.
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31. Start a podcast series.
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32. Unify your social media initiatives.
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33. For more information on this engagement…
Market Research & Consulting for the Life Science Industry
Bill Kelly
703-778-3080 x15
b.kelly@gene2drug.com
The
The Life Science Science
BioInformatics
EXECUTIVE Advisory
market insights from gene to drug
Board
EXCHANGE
www.lifescienceexec.com www.gene2drug.com www.scienceboard.net
© 2009 BioInformatics, LLC www.gene2drug.com 33