Abstract
This paper presents the results of research aimed at studying the interrelations of scientists' online communications and their real academic achievements using the example of ResearchGate (RG). The goals of the study are to discover the spectrum of communication practices of RG users and define the influence of institutional factors and demographic characteristics on the users' network activity. The sample consisting of 4800 RG profiles is composed using a web scraping approach. Cluster analysis of the data reveals three clusters of RG users according to these practices (‘representation' and ‘exchange'). The study found that neither age nor status influence the network activity. However, ranking the institutional affiliation of users demonstrated the influence of institutional factors on their network behaviour. The verified results of the present research essentially contribute to the understanding of how a scientist should use the advantages of the network in his/her professional activity, and how to overcome institutional limits which inhibit academic advancement.