Medical Journals in the Age of Ubiquitous Social Media

Abstract

Medical journals increasingly use social media to engage their audiences in a variety of ways, from simply broadcasting content via blogs, microblogs, and podcasts to more interactive methods such as Twitter chats and online journal clubs. Online discussion may increase readership and help improve peer review, for example, by providing postpublication peer review. Challenges remain, including the loss of nuance and context of shared work. Furthermore, uncertainty remains regarding how to assess the impact of journal social media outreach, abundant but unclear metrics, and the magnitude of benefit (if any), particularly given the substantial work required for substantive interactive engagement. Continued involvement and innovation from medical journals through social media offers potential in engaging journal audiences and improving knowledge translation.