#AnimBehav2023
Jan 18-19th 2023
International Animal Behaviour Twitter Conference 2023
Following the success of the 2021 Animal Behaviour Twitter Conference (#AnimBehav2021), we are currently preparing for the second Animal Behaviour Twitter conference #AnimBehav2023
What is a Twitter conference?
Unlike a virtual conference, Twitter conferences consist of scheduled tweet threads (presentations) that are uploaded on Twitter and directly followed by Q&A sessions. Presenters deliver their study in a thread of 5-6 tweets to discuss the different components of their research. Visuals are encouraged!!
Anybody can attend the Twitter conference by following the conference hashtag (#AnimBehav2023) on Twitter. Right after a presentation is uploaded, attendees are encouraged to tweet at the presenter their questions or comments during the slotted time (10 mins) for that presentation. There will be a timetable of the conference tweet ‘talks’ so you know when to be online for the presentations that you would like to engage with. You can also keep up with the conference hashtag through this website’s twitter feed.
Why an Animal Behaviour Twitter conference?
The field of Animal Behaviour is flourishing internationally. Historically, large international meetings in the field have brought with them barriers to participation including costs, carbon footprint, accessibility, etc. There is a real need to strengthen the international bonds among animal behaviourists in an inclusive manner and to foster collaborations. A Twitter conference offers a great way to address this: anyone can attend for free and participate in the Q&A (without having to even register); there are much lower carbon impacts; and yet it offers the latest animal behaviour research discoveries from a diverse and international group of presenters.
Additionally, Twitter conferences provide the opportunity to explore novel ways of communicating research to an international audience. The limited number of characters allowed in each tweet (280) encourages presenters to explore succinct ways of conveying their findings via a combination of short sentences, videos, figures, animations, graphical abstracts, etc. We believe this format will enhance the interest of attendees and promote conversation with the presenters.
Why attend a Twitter conference?
A Twitter conference is a great way to connect with scientists at all career stages from across the world. A Twitter conference is low-carbon and inclusive, as participants are not restricted by travel and financial constraints. Participating in a Twitter conference allows you to learn about animal behaviour research happening across the world and strengthen or build existing or new global connections. Our Twitter conference presentations will remain on Twitter and will be searchable by using #AnimBehav2023, meaning that you can continue to access all the science and connect with researchers even if you missed the live tweets.
A Twitter conference encourages participants to discover new ways of communicating their science succinctly and efficiently. With a limited number of characters allowed in each tweet, participants can explore novel means of showcasing their research (figures, videos, gifs, graphical abstracts, etc.), which can enhance the interest of attendees. As an audience member, you can ask questions during the Q&A session and can even continue to ask questions after the Conference by searching on Twitter for #AnimBehav2023.
Participating in a Twitter conference also means meeting new audiences! At a Twitter conference, presenters can reach high school students, undergraduates, and the general public. For instance, we’d support college or high school instructors encouraging their students to attend and participate in Q&A session during class or outside of class.