Anticipating the Future of Academic Social Networks: A Future Study Based on the Scenario Method

The study aimed to monitor the current situation of academic social networks by analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of academic social networks and providing a future vision for academic social networks in light of modern technological developments by setting future scenarios for academic social networks in an attempt to anticipate their future academic social networks. The study relied on the descriptive analytical approach, as it monitors the reality of academic social networks and analyzes them as they are one of the most important models of scientific communication among researchers, using the SWOT analysis method to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, in addition to using the scenario method as one of the most important methods used in future studies. To develop exploratory scenarios for the future of academic social networks to keep pace with modern technological developments and rapid changes, relying on previous intellectual production literature as a tool for collecting data. The study reached many results, including: A large number of researchers realize the importance of academic social networks and increase their spread on those networks and communicate with each other through them. The study recommended a set of recommendations, the most important of which are: The need for academic institutions and research centers to pay attention to holding seminars and workshops to spread awareness of the importance of Academic social networks between researchers in various scientific disciplines.