Social media: Flying from Twitter

Some researchers are making plans to leave the platform over concerns about false information

Since it launched in 2006, social media platform Twitter has embedded itself in the work of many researchers.

Over millions of bite-sized messages on the platform, researchers have forged relationships with colleagues and at times even stoked battles with them. Papers have been promoted and demolished in 140 and, later, 280 characters. Participants have been recruited into research studies via academics clicking that button marked ‘Tweet’, and the platform has been widely used for knowledge and information-sharing.