The research project explored the role of Mastodon in academic communication.

Social media has transformed how academic communities connect and share information.In response to ethical concerns about commercial social networks - particularly after Twitter/X's decline under Elon Musk - Mastodon, a decentralized and open-source platform, has gained attention among academics.

Despite this trend, little is known about how academics engage with the platform. We conducted this study to understand academic staff's perceptions, motivations, usage patterns, and the platform’s potential benefits and challenges. The project employed a mixed-methods approach: (1) literature review, (2) quantitative survey, (3) qualitative interviews

This dataset refers to the quantitative component of the project. It employed a survey methodology, with data collection conducted via Mastodon in October 2024. The target population comprised academic staff who use social media for professional purposes, with particular emphasis on Mastodon usage. The survey was disseminated through the University of Groningen Library's Mastodon account.

Mastodon, v4.3.7