Thursday 17 May 2018 3:32pm
Communications Adviser Kim Connelly, who spearheaded the Media Expertise Database upgrade project.
When the University’s new and improved Media Expertise Database launches on 31 May, media from around the globe will be able to access Otago’s vast range of experts like never before.
The database is an online tool designed to enable academic and research staff to share their knowledge and expertise with journalists. Media depend upon subject-matter experts to help provide context for current events, analyse trends, and commentary relating to breaking news stories.
To a lesser extent, the database is also used by prospective postgraduate students seeking suitable supervisors at Otago.
A printed expertise directory is produced annually based on the database.
"It provides a very important means for Otago academics to engage with the media, and fulfil our crucial role in taking part in public dialogue and also raising our profile in New Zealand and overseas."
Director of Communications Megan McPherson says launching the new system is vital for maintaining and expanding Otago’s media presence both in New Zealand and internationally.
“The importance of the expertise directory lies in its accessibility and usefulness. It provides a very important means for Otago academics to engage with the media, and fulfil our crucial role in taking part in public dialogue and also raising our profile in New Zealand and overseas,” she says.
The new system replaces the previous online database which was first developed more than a decade ago.
Communications Adviser Kim Connelly, who spearheaded the new database project, says the new system addresses many of the old database’s shortcomings.
“We’ve essentially modernised what we had and made it more relevant to the needs of today’s media,” she says.
One of the biggest changes is the option for academics to list their social media details like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and even Skype.
“Researchers have been asking to include their social media details in the expertise database for several years now. It’s fantastic to finally make this a possibility for them.”
Further changes include new functionality that allows academics to categorise their expertise and cross-reference their listing into multiple categories if warranted.
"All they need to do is fill in their social media details, if they wish, and spend a few minutes entering and categorising their particular expertise. The whole process takes less than five minutes."
“Previously, it was up to Communications Office staff to categorise an academic’s expertise into the categories that make up the chapters of our printed expertise directory each year. The new system allows academics to list their expertise under the appropriate categories and subcategories themselves.”
Ms Connelly says that while every effort has been made to include as many appropriate expertise categories as possible, new categories can be requested.
The new system is also easier for academic and research staff to interact with and keep up-to-date as much of their basic contact information is pre-populated based on their University login credentials.
“All they need to do is fill in their social media details, if they wish, and spend a few minutes entering and categorising their particular expertise. The whole process takes less than five minutes.”
There’s still time for academic and research staff to complete their expertise profile and be included in the database ahead of its public launch.
“We’ve done our best to reach out to as many areas of the University as possible in the lead up to this month’s launch. However, we know there are many academics out there who have not yet created their profiles in the new system.”
Academic staff can create and then update their media expertise profile at any time by logging into the database with their usual University credentials.
Questions about the new database or requests for additional expertise categories can be directed to expertise.database@otago.ac.nz