How faculty members share scientific information via social media: Factors and barriers

This study aimed at identifying the most important factors and barriers to sharing scientific information via social media among Iranian faculty members. A review of the literature on sharing scientific information made it possible to identify some of the factors and barriers to sharing such knowledge. The mixed methodology was used in this study combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The data were collected using online questionnaires. In general, three factors affecting information sharing in the academic environment were identified: organizational culture (including favorable environment for debating, kind of valued information, communication, mutual responsibilities, power distribution and recognition and reward), individual characteristics (including mutual trust, common language, individual time management) and organizational structure (including hierarchy, relationship network, knowledge storage, the transmission of knowledge and type of training for the task). Moreover, four information-sharing barriers were identified and classified in the following categories: individual differences, individual perception of sharing costs, lack of time, lack of recognition and reward, the vision of others, preference for explicit knowledge and resource and infrastructure.