When you follow a researcher, you’ll get updates about their publications and certain activity on ResearchGate. Following is how you build your network, and helps you keep up to date with the researchers whose work you’re interested in.
How do I follow another researcher?
To follow a researcher, go to their profile and click the Follow button on the right-hand side of their profile. You can also click the Follow button that appears next to their name in any follow suggestions you are presented with on ResearchGate.
We’ll let someone know when you follow them so they have the option to follow you back.
How do I unfollow a researcher?
You can unfollow a researcher from the People you follow list on your profile’s Following tab, from the researcher’s profile, or from lists of researchers (e.g., Shared connections, Lab members).
On the profile of a researcher you follow, you’ll see a Following button on the right-hand side. A Following button will also be next to the researcher’s name on your profile’s Following tab, in lists, and other places across ResearchGate.
If you click the Following button, you’ll unfollow the profile and the button will change to Follow.
Note: Researchers are not notified when you unfollow them.
How do I find people to follow?
As you browse ResearchGate and read publications, you’ll see researcher profiles in author lists. You can also search for people to find profiles of people you know and other experts in your field.
To see suggestions of researchers whose work you might be interested in, you can visit the Related researchers page.
How do I see who I'm following and who's following me?
You can see who you’re following and who’s following you on your profile’s Following tab. We’ll notify you via email and on-site notifications when someone new follows you.
Are there limits to the number of researchers I can follow?
The number of researchers you can follow is subject to a limit which is based on the number of researchers who follow you. This is for both security and technical reasons. If you have reached this limit and would like to follow more researchers, you’ll have to unfollow some first.
Fine-tuning the list of researchers you follow leads to a more personalized home feed that shows you content relevant to your research interests and field.
Why am I automatically following researchers?
Some parts of the following process are automated to improve your ResearchGate experience. For example, if you joined ResearchGate from a colleague’s invitation, you will automatically be following each other when you create your account. Similarly, if you were browsing another researcher’s profile when you signed up, you will automatically be following them as well.
What are Shared Connections?
You may see a Shared Connections section on the right-hand side of other people’s profiles.
A shared connection is someone who is a ‘connection’ to both you and the person whose profile you’re viewing. We consider your co-authors, advisors, lab colleagues, mutual followers, and department colleagues to be your connections.
One of the best ways on ResearchGate to understand how relevant a researcher is to your work, and whether you’d like to connect, is through your shared connections. The more people you have in common, the more likely it is that you’re part of a professional community.