ask and answer questions, and find collaborators.

提問與回應問題、尋找合著者

Corporate history: ResearchGate was founded in 2008 by a virologist

有關它的歷史：ResearchGate於2008年由一位濾過性病原體學者、

and computer scientist, Ijad Madisch. It started in Boston, but moved to Berlin, Germany shortly afterwards.

電腦科學家，Ijad Madisch建立。它成立於波士頓，之後便遷移到德國柏林

In 2009, the company began a partnership with Seeding Labs, in order to supply third-world

2009年，公司開始與Seeding Labs建立合作關係，以提供第三世界國家

countries with surplus lab equipment from the United States. Its first round of funding

美國所剩餘的實驗室儀器當作補給。第一輪募資的消息

was announced in September 2010. According to The New York Times the website

在2010年9月釋出。根據紐約時報，這個平台

began with very few features, then developed over time based on input from scientists.

在成立之初並不突出，之後在科學家們的加入才逐漸發展

Adoption of the site grew rapidly. From 2009 to 2011, the site grew from 25,000 users to

日後，平台的接受度快速地成長。從2009年到2011年，平台從25,000名用戶成長到

more than 1 million. The company grew from 12 employees in 2011 to 70 in 2012.

超過一百萬名用戶。而公司則是在2011年到2012年間，從原有12名員工，成長到擁有70名員工。

A second round of funding led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund was announced in February 2012.

在2012年2月，第二輪募資是由Peter Thiel's Founders Fund領頭宣布。

On June 4, 2013, it closed Series C financing for $35M from investors including Bill Gates.

在2013年7月4日它結束第三輪募資，共籌得35,000,000美金，投資者包含比爾蓋茲。

Features: The New York Times described the site as a

特色：紐約時報描述這個平台就像是一個

mashup of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. It has many of the features that are typical

Facebook、Twitter和LinkedIn的混合體。它擁有很多社群網路典型的功能特色

among social network sites, such as user profiles, messages that can be public or private, and

例如：用戶檔案、公開或私人的訊息功能、

methods for finding other users with similar interests. It differs from other social networks

尋找其他擁有相同興趣的用戶等。不同於其他社群網路的是

in that it is designed for researchers and scientists. Conversation strings focus on

這個平台是設計給研究者與科學家。因此，討論的主軸較著重於

a research interest or paper and you can "follow" a research interest, in addition to following individual users.

研究興趣或論文，所以你不但能追蹤這些用戶，也能追蹤相關的研究興趣。

It has a blogging feature for users to write short reviews on peer-reviewed articles.

它擁有部落格的特色，讓用戶可以在同儕審查的論文上寫下簡短的評論

ResearchGate indexes self-published information on user profiles to suggest members

ResearchGate能透過用戶建立的檔案做出索引，以提供建議

to connect with those that have similar interests. When a user posts a question, it is fielded

連結到擁有類似興趣的用戶。當用戶發布一個問題，它能夠遍及至

to scientists that have identified on their user profile that they have a relevant expertise.

從用戶檔案上辨認出擁有相關專業的科學家

It also has private chat rooms where scientists can share data, edit shared documents, or

它同時擁有私人聊天室，讓科學家能在此分享數據、共同編輯文件或是

discuss confidential topics. As of 2013, it has 2.6 million users.

討論機密的話題。直到2013年，平台已累積2,600,000名用戶。

ResearchGate's largest user-base is in Europe and North America. Most of ResearchGate's users are involved

ResearchGate絕大多數的用戶來自歐洲與北美洲，而他們多為

in medicine or biology, though it also has participants from engineering, computer science

醫學與生物領域專長者，也有的是工程、電腦科學、

and agricultural sciences among others. Participants can get a higher "score" which ranks their

農業科學領域的專家。若是提供較熱門的答案或是其他計量

"scientific reputation" by providing popular answers to questions and other metrics.

用戶可以得到較高的分數，影響他們的科學聲譽排名

Members are encouraged to share raw data and failed experiment results. ResearchGate does

成員間也被鼓勵分享出不純熟的數據以及失敗的實驗結果。ResearchGate並不要求

not require peer review or fees. Since accessing documents usually requires an account,

同儕審查或費用。由於需要透過帳戶才能取得文件

ResearchGate is not considered to be open access. Reception

因此ResearchGate並不被視為公開取用的平台。回響：

As of 2009, according to BusinessWeek, ResearchGate was influential in promoting innovation in

2009年根據商業週刊，透過連結發展中國家與工業化國家的同儕，ResearchGate被譽為

developing countries by connecting scientists from those nations with their peers in industrialized

促進發展中國家創新的重要推手

nations. BusinessWeek said the website had become popular largely due to its "navigation"

商業週刊描述這個平台越來越受歡迎，很大一部分原因是由於它的瀏覽性強

and "ease of use". It also noted that ResearchGate had been involved in "a string" of notable

以及使用的便利性。同時，ResearchGate協助一連串顯著的

cross-country collaborations between scientists that led to substantive developments. A paper

跨國合著，引領更實質的發展。一篇

published in the The International Information & Library Review conducted a survey with 160

發表在國際資訊與圖書館評論期刊的論文中，調查160位受訪者

respondents and found that out of those using social networking "for academic purposes",

在學術目的上使用社群網路的狀況顯示

Facebook and ResearchGate were the most popular at the University of Delhi, but also "a majority

Facebook和ResearchGate是在德里大學最受歡迎的平台，但也有一大部分的

of respondents said using SNSs [Social Networking Sites] may be a waste of time".

受訪者表示使用社群網路是在浪費時間

In 2011, a University of Florida librarian conducted an evaluation of ResearchGate.

2011年，佛羅里達大學的館員做出一份ResearchGate的評估報告

The librarian answered 211 questions and obtained 293 followers.

這名館員回答211個問題，取得293名追蹤者

According to the Norton Journal of the Medical Library Association, ResearchGate users "provided invaluable feedback" for "evaluating

根據美國醫學圖書館學會期刊，ResearchGate用戶提供無可限量的回饋以評估

three existing LibGuides" and the experiment found that librarians can develop real-world

三個現存的圖書館學科指南服務。這個實驗結果顯示，館員在平台上的貢獻

recognition among their peers for their contributions to the site. In a paper published by the Association

能夠發展同儕間與現實世界的認可。一篇由國際資訊系統協會

for Information Systems an experiment involving a dormant account found that over a 16 month

發表的論文，以停擺的帳戶實驗顯示，過去16個月間

period, using default settings, ResearchGate sent 297 invitations to 38 people.

使用停擺設定者，ResearchGate曾發送297封邀請給38名用戶。

These emails are written as if they were personally sent by the user, but they are automatically sent

這些電子郵件的內容彷彿是由該用戶親自寄出，但實際上是系統自動寄出

to co-authors when a user posts an article in their profile unless they opt out.

給合著者。除非用戶自行選擇退出，否則當用戶在檔案上發布消息時都會有這樣的情形

The user profile was automatically attributed to more than 430 publications. It followed

該用戶檔案會自動貢獻至超過430個出版物。他依然追蹤

or was followed by more than 450 users, though the profile was inactive. Journalists and

或被追蹤超過450名用戶，即使這個帳戶已經停擺了。記者與

researchers have found that the "RG score," calculated by ResearchGate via a proprietary

研究者發現，由ResearchGate透過所有權運算法則所計算出的「RG分數」

algorithm, can reach high values under questionable circumstances.

可以在含有疑慮的情況下達到高的結果計算值

ResearchGate has been criticized for emailing unsolicited invitations to the coauthors of

ResearchGate被批評寄出未經同意的邀請函給合著者

its users as well as for encouraging authors to upload articles to the site, which may

以及鼓勵作者上傳論文到平台上，此舉可能會

infringe the copyright of the publisher. References

侵犯出版者的著作權。參考資源：

External links Official website

外部官方連結網站