Abstract: ［Purpose/Significance］Research on users’ real utilization levels and features of academic social networking sites in the field of library and information science can promote appropriate use in conducting academic exchanges. It is also helpful to enhance the disciplinary influence of library and information science.［Design/Methodology］This paper took ResearchGate(RG) as an example of academic social networking site, and iSchools full-time teaching and research staff were chosen as the real sample users according to the authentication. The current situation of iSchools members’ real utilization of academic social networking sites was analyzed and revealed through data mining of their RG metrics, including real user participation, high-quality user ratio and other RG interactive utilization metrics. Besides, real utilization features of different groups were also compared and analyzed from both institutional and individual perspectives.［Findings/Conclusion］Users’ basic utilization level of ResearchGate in the field of library and information science is limited. Full-time teaching and research staff have become high-quality users in RG. However, their usage of RG is still insufficient. User groups of lower participation ratios such as the male and the North American iSchools teaching and research staff are more likely to perform a better efficient interactive utilization of RG conversely. Meanwhile, interactive utilization metrics can well reflect the differences of academic influence reflected in users’ title level and institutional level.［Originality/Value］Based on the accreditation of iSchools full-time teaching and research staff’s identities, the real utilization of institutions as a whole and the differences among individuals’ real utilization are demonstrated, which could guide iSchools to properly utilize academic social networks. It also could provide a benchmark for the departments of library and information in other universities, as well as references for the optimization of platform metrics and platform construction.

Keywords: The field of library and information science, Academic social networking site, Real utilization, iSchools, ResearchGate