Academic Social Networks

In recent years, various social networks for researchers such as Academia.edu and ResearchGate have become popular. In a broader sense, Mendeley can also be regarded as an academic social network. These networks offer new ways of scholarly communication, an opportunity for professional exchange and the sharing of publications, if that is legally possible. They are usually commercial, require registration and the disclosure of personal data, and are therefore not considered Open Access platforms or repositories.

For a secondary publication on platforms such as ResearchGate, the consent of the publisher must usually be obtained and restrictions regarding commercial (secondary) exploitation of publications as well as embargo periods and permissible manuscript versions must be observed.