Motivations for sharing scientific information on social media: a study with users of the X network

Objective:  This study investigates the motivations for sharing scientific research on social media, focusing on X (formerly Twitter).

Methods:  A total of 21 articles with the highest Altmetric Attention Score, obtained from the Dimensions database, were analyzed, along with their mentions on X, resulting in a sample of 734 users who shared research articles. To explore their motivations, a questionnaire in English was sent via Direct Message (DM) or public mentions on the timeline.

Results:  A total of 75 responses were obtained, representing a response rate of 9.95%. The analysis of motivations was based on the typologies for social media use proposed by Syn and Oh (2015). The results showed that 45% of the users who share scientific content on X have an academic profile, suggesting that scientific knowledge also circulates widely among non-academic users. Among academics, 50% reported sharing scientific articles "always" or "frequently," while non-academic users were more likely to engage with actions such as "liking" or "saving" content. Motivations for sharing varied between groups: 53% of academics shared articles out of interest in contributing to the scientific community, compared to 34% of non-academics. Additionally, empathy was a more common motivation among academics, with 47% indicating it as a relevant factor.

Conclusions:  The results highlight the significant role of academics in disseminating scientific research, while also revealing the importance of non-academic users in the popularization of knowledge. Both groups share similar motivations for posting scientific articles on social media, although with different emphases in their interactions.

KEYWORDS:
Social network X; Altmetrics; Motivations; Scientific dissemination