Networking

These tutorials provide guidance in how to manage your profile and find connections on the network.

Managing Your Profile

Learn how to create a compelling profile that optimizes your discoverability on the network.

Overview

Your Queen's Research Discovery Network profile serves as a showcase of your research and expertise, providing visitors with a snapshot of your work, skills, and experience.

The researcher profile template includes the following fourteen sections, with most sections being at your discretion to include or not:

  • Membership Information
  • Research Interests
  • Research Description
  • Cross/Joint Appointments
  • Affiliations
  • Current Teaching
  • Office Hours
  • Selected Degrees
  • Biography
  • Current Supervision
  • Research Places
  • Alternative Contact Information
  • Media Links
  • Selected Publications

Minimum Viable Profile

To promote a connective, compelling, and consistent experience across the network, Queen's researcher profiles are expected to meet the Minimum Viable Profile (MVP) criteria, consisting of the following sections:

  • Membership Information (with profile image)
  • Research Interests
  • Research Description

An image depicting a minimum viable profile for a researcher on the research discovery network

Overview

The Membership Information section contains your basic contact information, your profile photo, and is also where you control your profile's visibility on the network.

Adding / Editing Membership Information

To edit your contact information or profile visibility:

  1. Click the Edit link in the top-right corner of the section.

    An image depicting the membership information section of a researcher's profile
     
  2. Make any necessary changes - the following is guidance for several of the available fields:

    Account Type: This field is set by you during your first login to the Queen's Research Discovery Network and is thereafter not editable. If you believe this field is set incorrectly, please submit a support request to the Help Desk.

    Position Title: The available position titles are determined by your Account Type - update this field as necessary to reflect your current faculty or staff position at Queen's.

    Academic Unit: This field should reflect your primary appointment - search for and select the appropriate unit from the list.

    Visibility: There are three available visibility settings for your profile; Everyone (public)*; Network (visible only to logged-in users); Hidden (not visible to anyone)
    *this is the recommended visibility setting for maximum discoverability
  3. When you have finished making your changes, click Save.

Overview

As part of the Minimum Viable Profile (MVP) criteria, you are encouraged to add a profile photo to your Queen's Research Discovery Network profile - this helps to ensure a professional quality for the network.


 Best Practice

Your profile photo should ideally be a professional headshot.

best practice profile photo

Otherwise, if you do not have a professional headshot, select a photo that meets these criteria:

  • High resolution (300 dpi or higher)
  • Sufficient background space around the head and shoulders
  • Taken indoors, in front of a neutral background
  • Not cropped from a group photo

Adding / Editing a Profile Photo

To add a photo to your profile:

  1. Click the Edit link in the top-right corner of the profile image square.

    Image depicting the empty profile image of a researcher's profile
  2. Click the Choose File button to locate and select an image from your computer - once selected, the image will appear in the cropping window.

    An image depicting the adding of a profile image to a researcher's profile
     
  3. Use the cropping tool to crop the image for an effective headshot, then click Save.

    An image depicting the cropping of a researcher's profile photo
     
  4. If you would like to change the image or modify its cropping, simply click the Edit link again to repeat the process.


    An image depicting a saved profile image in a researcher's profile

 

Overview

The Research Interests section provides the connecting power of the network, as adding tags to reflect your research interests will ensure you are connected with everyone else on the network who share those interests.

Research Interests on the network are classified according to the Canadian Research and Development Classification (CRDC).


 Best Practice

  • For optimal discoverability, select tags that cover the full scope of your research interests.

Adding / Editing Research Interests

To add Research Interest tags to your profile:

  1.  Click the Edit link.

    An image depicting the research interests section of a researcher's profile
     
  2. Use the search bar and/or expand the research interest menu to locate relevant interests - to select the interests for your profile, select their checkbox. This will add the interest to the Current selection view, where you can track and remove your selected interests.

    An image depicting the selection of research interest tags for a researcher's profile
     
  3. Once you have selected all relevant interests, click Save - the Research Interest tags will now be added to your profile.

    An image depicting several research interest tags added to a researcher's profile
  4. You can add or remove tags at any time by simply clicking the Edit link to repeat this process.

Overview

The Research Description section should capture the research you perform through your appointment(s) at Queen's and within any centres, institutes, groups, of which you are a member.


 Best Practice

  • For ease of reading, keep your research description to 1 - 2 brief paragraphs, avoiding a wall of text.
  • Include any research interests not otherwise captured in your Research Interest tags to optimize your discoverability in searches of the network.

Adding / Editing a Research Description

To add your research description:

  1. Click the section's Edit link.

    An image depicting the empty Research Description section of a researcher's profile
     
  2. Use the text editor to add your research description. Note that the editor allows for basic formatting of the text, along with hyperlinks and linked images (i.e., images stored elsewhere online). When finished, click Save.

    An image depicting text entered into the research description text editor
  3. Your Research Description will now appear in your profile. You can edit this section at any time by clicking the Edit link and repeating this process.

    Image depicting a completed research description section of a researcher's profile

Overview

While the Cross / Joint Appointments section is intended to display any academic cross or joint appointments, this section can also temporarily* be used to display your memberships in research centres and institutes.

*a new dedicated profile section for research memberships will be added in a future release of the Queen's Research Discovery Network.

Adding / Editing Cross or Joint Appointments

To add a cross or joint appointment:

  1. Click the +Add link.

    An image depicting an empty cross/joint appointments section of a researcher's profile
     
  2. Select the relevant academic unit from the dropdown list - use the search bar to quickly find the relevant unit.

    An image depicting the selection of the relevant academic unit for a cross appointment
  3. Enter your Position Title (e.g., Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, etc.).

    An image highlighting the position title field of a cross appointment entry
  4. When finished, click Save. Your cross / joint appointment will now be visible in your profile. Note that the banner image for the academic unit will be dependent on the image implemented by the administrator's of that unit's profile page.

    An image depicting an added cross appointment to a researcher's profile
     

Overview

The Affiliations sections provides a space for you to highlight any positions at, or affiliations with, organizations outside of Queen's, past or present.


 Best Practice

  • Include the Position Title, Organization, and start/end dates for any affiliation.
  • Avoid including a lengthy Activity Description, as this will create an elongated text column in your profile.

Adding / Editing Affiliations

To add an affiliation to your profile:

  1. Click the section's +Add link.

    An image depicting the empty affiliations section of a researcher profile
  2. For an effective entry, complete the Position Title, Organization, and Start / End Date fields, while keeping the Activity Description to a minimum. When finished, click Save.

    An image depicting information entered into an affiliation entry
  3. Your affiliation is now visible in your profile. To edit or remove the affiliation, simply click the Edit link and repeat this process.

    An image depicting a completed affiliation section in a researcher's profile

Overview

The Current Teaching section allows you to display the courses you are currently teaching.


 Best Practice

  • Add only courses you are teaching in the current and/or next term.
  • Use the following naming convention for your courses:
    • Course Code_Course Title_TermYear
    • e.g., CHEM 112 - General Chemistry F21

Adding / Editing Current Teaching

To add a current teaching entry:

  1. Click the section's +Add link.

    An image depicting an empty current teaching section in a researcher profile
  2. Add the course name, using the following naming convention: Course Code_Course Title_TermYear (e.g., CHEM 112 - General Chemistry F21).
     
  3. Add your role in the course (e.g., Primary Instructor, Instructor, etc.).
     
  4. If the course has a public website (i.e., not an onQ course shell), add its web address in the URL field.
     
  5. Enter any office hours you hold specifically for this course.

    An image depicting information entered into a current teaching entry
  6. When finished, click Save. Your current teaching entry will now be visible in your profile.

    An image depicting a completed current teaching section in a researcher profile

Overview

The Office Hours section allows you to display any general purpose office hours you hold, separate from those you hold for specific courses.

Adding / Editing Office Hours

To add office hours to your profile:

  1. Click the section's +Add link.

    An image depicting an empty office hours section in a researcher profile
  2. Enter the relevant day and start / end time.
     
  3. Select the relevant building name from the dropdown list - use the search bar to quickly locate it.
     
  4. Enter the room number where the office hours occur.
     
  5. The Notes field can be used to note any additional information regarding the availability. 

    An image depicting office hours information
  6. When finished, click Save. Your office hours will now be visible in your profile.

    An image depicting a completed office hours section in a researcher profile

Overview

The Selected Degrees section allows you to list selected degrees you have earned over your career.


 Best Practice

  • For the most effective entries, complete all fields, so that your entries display the degree name (i.e., type), the specialization, the institution, and the year of conferral. 

Adding / Editing Selected Degrees

To add selected degrees to your profile:

  1. Click the section's +Add link.

    An image depicting an empty selected degrees section in a researcher profile
  2. Add the degree name (i.e., type), specialty, institution, and year of conferral. When finished, click Save.

    An image depicting degree information entered into a selected degree entry
  3. Your selected degree entry will now be visible in your profile.

    An image depicting a completed selected degrees section in a researcher profile
     

Overview

The Biography section allows you to briefly describe yourself, your academic background, and your role at the institution. 


 Best Practice

  • Keep your biography to 1 - 2 brief paragraphs.
  • Avoid a wall of text.

Adding / Editing a Biography

To add a biography to your profile:

  1. Click the section's Edit link.

    An image depicting an empty biography section in a researcher profile
  2. Use the text editor to enter your biography. Note that the editor allows for basic formatting of the text, along with hyperlinks and linked images (i.e., images stored elsewhere online). When finished, click Save.

    An image depicting biography information added to a biography entry
  3. Your biography will now be visible in your profile.

    An image depicting a complete biography section in a researcher profile
     

Overview

The Current Supervision section allows you to display the highly qualified personnel (HQP) you are currently supervising.

Note that this section is currently restricted to Master's and Postdoctoral Fellow HQP's only.

Adding / Editing Current Supervision

To add a current supervision to your profile:

  1. Click the section's +Add button.

    An image depicting an empty current supervision section in a researcher profile
  2. In the Supervisee field, use the dropdown list of existing HQPs in the system to select your supervisee. If they do not yet have an Queen's Research Discovery Network account, click the add new link to send them an invitation.

    An image depicting the workflow for adding a new supervisee
  3. Enter the supervisee's email address and include a brief note to invite them to the Queen's Research Discovery Network.
    An image depicting the invitation message to a supervisee
  4. Once you have selected the supervisee from the dropdown list, enter the expected end date of your supervision. When finished, click Save.

    An image depicting the workflow of adding a new supervisee to a researcher profile
  5. Your supervision entry will now be visible in your profile, with the entry automatically linking to the supervisee's own profile.

    An image depicting a completed current supervision section in a researcher profile

 

Overview

The Research Places section allows you list regions or places associated with your research. These entries will display both on your profile and on the network's Research Places map.


 Best Practice

  • For an effective entry, add the relevant start / end dates, the activity type (e.g., fieldwork), and research theme tags - the tags will ensure your Research Place entry will appear in searches of the network for those themes.

Adding / Editing Research Places

To add a Research Place entry to your profile:

  1. Click the section's +Add link.

    An image depicting an empty research places section in a researcher profile
  2. The Address field is powered by Google Maps - enter a place, region, or exact address to select it from the list.

    An image depicting the workflow of adding a research place address
  3. Add the relevant Start / End dates of your activity at this Research Place - if the activity is ongoing, simply leave the End Date field blank.
     
  4.  The Description field allows you to describe your activity at this Research Place - if adding information here, keep it fairly brief.

    An image depicting the workflow of adding an activity description to a research place entry
     
  5. In the Activity Type field, use the dropdown list to select the activity that best captures your work at this Research Place.
     
  6. Lastly, add any relevant Research Themes tags for your activity at this Research Place - adding the tags will ensure your entry appears in searches of the network for those research themes. 

    An image depicting the workflow for adding a research theme to a research place entry
  7. When finished, click Save. Your Research Place entry will now be visible in your profile and on the network's Research Places map.

    An image depicting a completed research places section in a research profile

     

Overview

The Alternative Contact Information section provides a space to enter any alternative phone numbers or email addresses at which you can be contacted.

Adding / Editing Alternative Contact Information

To add alternative contact information to your profile:

  1. Click the section's +Add link.

    An image depicting an empty alternative contact information section in a researcher profile
     
  2. In the Contact Type field, select either Email or Phone.
     
  3. The Contact Description field allows you to add additional context (e.g., Laboratory, Pager, etc.).
     
  4. Use the Contact Information field to enter the relevant email address or phone number. When finished, click Save.

    An image depicting a completed alternative contact information section in a researcher profile

Overview

The Media Links section allows you to post links to any web content outside of the Queen's Research Discovery Network, such as personal websites, social media accounts, etc.


 Best Practice

  • When adding the web address for a Media Links entry, be sure to include the full URL (e.g., https://www.queensu.ca).

Adding / Editing Media Links

To add a Media Links entry to your profile:

  1. Click the section's +Add link.

    An image depicting an empty media links section in a researcher profile
  2.  From the Website Type dropdown list, select one of the pre-loaded link icons, if applicable. If none is selected, your media link will simply use a generic icon.

    An image depicting the workflow for adding a media link icon
  3. Use the Link Name field to add an optional title for the link (e.g., Lab Twitter, Research Profile, etc.).
     
  4. In the URL field, be sure to enter the full URL for the site (e.g., https://www.queensu.ca/).

    An image depicting the workflow for adding a URL for a media link
     
  5. Once finished, click Save. Your Media Link entry will now be visible on your profile.

    An image depicting a completed media links section in a researcher profile

 

Overview

The Selected Publications section allows you to display a curated list of the publications in your account. Publications will only appear in your profile if you have tagged them with research themes.


 Best Practice

  • To optimize your discoverability on the network, be sure to add relevant research themes to your publications, as this will ensure that they appear in searches of the network for those themes.

Importing Publications

There are two options for importing publication records to your Queen's Research Discovery Network account - see the following tutorials for guidance:

  1. Import your Canadian Common CV (CCV)
  2. Importing a publications file (e.g., Google Scholar, EndNote, etc.)

Tagging Publications

To tag publications for display in your profile:

  1. Click the Tag your publications link - this will take you to your Publications tab.

    An image depicting an empty selected publications section in a researcher profile
  2. Select the checkboxes for the relevant publications you would like to tag, then click Add tags.

    An image depicting the workflow for selecting publications for tagging
  3. Any research themes you currently have tagged in your Research Interests section will automatically appear for selection, while any others can be browsed and selected from the More Options list. Select the checkbox for any of your existing themes and any new themes from the list, then click Apply labels.

    An image depicting the workflow for selecting tags for publications
  4. Your tagged publications will now be visible in your profile and will appear in searches of the network for those tagged research themes.

    An image depicting a completed selected publication section in a researcher profile

Making Connections

Finding a potential research collaborator is always just a click away with your Research Connections Map.

Your Research Connections Map shows all the researchers on the network with whom you have shared research interests – this is based on common Research Interest tags you have added to your respective profiles.

A map depicting the connections a researcher has with other researchers at Queen's.

 

1. From the Overview screen, click the Connections tab.

Screen capture of overview page and where to click connections

2. Your Connections Map will be displayed. 

  • The left sidebar displays your connections by Research Interest.
  • The right sidebar allows you to filter your Connections Map by:
    • Academic Title
    • Academic Unit
    • Connections (Research Interest)

A view of filters available to organize a map showing connections with other researchers

3. Hover over any of the profile photos of your connections to view a snapshot of their research - from here, you can click through to their Queen's Research Discovery Network profile, view their own Connections Map, or navigate to their external website.

Viewing a snapshot of someone's research by hovering over their profile photo