Aatteinen in memoriam: a brief history of my research communication

I recently changed my website domain to eevahoutbeckers.fi. The change originates from last year when I changed my Twitter username from ‘aatteinen’ to ‘eevahoutbeckers’. Since I found it increasingly difficult to tag people when they didn’t use their own name as usernames, I figured the same must go for me too. But I left my Instagram username unchanged because my website was still with ‘aatteinen’. When my annual domain renewal was growing closer, I changed my site domain and Instagram usename as well. So farewell aatteinen!


I came up with ‘aatteinen’, a wordplay related to little thoughts about values, in 2011 when I had recently started my doctoral studies. It was my first online identity and allowed me to start communicate about things I found important as a researcher. For some reason using only my own name seemed scary. The creation of semi-public online presence allowed me to find interests and write more freely.

It is not always easy to do research – including reading, writing and analysis of research materials – and, on top of that, manage research communication. Good communication takes up work time and work time is what I constantly crave more (two kids and a challenging research topic takes care of that). As it is visible in my blog, I’m not the most active blogger. But I’m quite proud of my micro-blogging, that is my Instagram feed. Yet, it is important to have a website I can call my own. In these times of uncertain academic funding and contracts, my own public space, no matter how modest, makes me feel like I can decide about some things, while others may be out of my reach. Moreover, as a passionate organiser, I love the idea of gathering my work to an online portfolio.

Although it is not easy to say farewell to an old companion, I think it is time for me to be present online with my name. Thank you ‘aatteinen’ for the years we had! With you I had the courage to start research communication and connect with others online.

I thank also you, the reader, for visiting my website, for the first time or after several times. I hope you continue to visit it in the future as well.