Conference Twittiquette

We are delighted to confirm that the joint OIEAHC-SEA conference (June 18-21) will be live-Tweeted. In preparation for that, we have created not only a hashtag (#OISEA2015) but also drafted a Twittiquette.

But as with any draft, we need input. Please respond below or, if you don’t desire to make a public comment, email us directly at oieahc@wm.edu.

Recommended Rights and Responsibilities for Twitter use at Conferences Sponsored by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture

Twitter has opened up useful new channels of communication as an increasingly influential mode in the iterative process of scholarly discourse. In the spirit of collaboration, we propose the following guidelines as a starting point to encourage collegial engagement and respect concerns about intellectual property.

Conference Participants

SHOULD:

• Read any information distributed by the OI about Twitter use at the conference.
• Use Twitter to broadcast information, news, and insights about presentations.
• Use the official conference hashtag (#OISEA2015).
• Respect the wishes of any panelist who requests that his/her paper not be discussed on social media during the conference.
• Remember that Twitter is–like the conference itself–a public space where standards of professional decorum and respect should always apply.

SHOULD NOT:

• Intentionally mischaracterize a presenter’s arguments or evidence.
• Tweet information about a paper that a presenter has requested be kept in the room.

Panelists

SHOULD:

• Indicate to the chair of the session if they are uncomfortable with discussions about their paper on Twitter.
• (For chairs) Announce at the beginning of a conference session whether or not the panelists have agreed to live-tweeting of the panel.

SHOULD NOT:

• Tweet from the dais during their session.

Omohundro Institute

WILL:

• Provide an official hashtag for each conference.
• Designate several conference attendees as “official tweeters,” who will use both their personal and the @OIEAHC accounts to broadcast news and discussion about the conference using the official hashtag. These designees will wear badges or ribbons to indicate their status.
• Make available at conference registration a guide explaining how to use Twitter, with an introduction to hashtags, for those unfamiliar with the service who wish to participate or monitor the feed.