[Air-L] Call for Papers: Use of online videos for science and research communication

[Allgaier, Joachim]

Dear Colleagues,

Asheley R. Landrum (Texas Tech University) and I are curating a Research Topic on the use of online videos for science and research communication for Frontiers publishers.

We are looking for papers to be published in the following journals:
·       Frontiers in Communication
Section - Science and Environmental Communication
·       Frontiers in Environmental Science
Section - Science and Environmental Communication
·       Frontiers in Human Dynamics
Section - Digital Impacts

If the Research Topic receives at least 10 contributions, Frontiers will produce an additional e-book of the collection once all of the manuscripts have completed the review process.

Submission of Abstracts are due 1 January 2020.
Full Manuscripts are due 1 July 2020.

Please submit abstracts and full manuscripts at http://bit.ly/SciCommVideo.

Frontiers publications are available open access. Fee Waivers are available for this Research Topics if the author(s) have no institutional affiliation or if the author(s) don't have the means to  cover the fee charges.

I include more information about our research topic below. Please also visit http://bit.ly/SciCommVideo.

Best,

Joachim Allgaier

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New Directions in Science and Environmental Communication: Understanding the Role of Online Video-Sharing and Online Video-Sharing Platforms for  Science and Research Communication

Background

In this Research Topic we are interested in the impact of online  video-sharing on the public communication of science and the  environment, but also on intra-scientific communication and practice.  The online video format has great potential for science and  environmental communication, but there are also potential problems and  pitfalls that need to be reflected. We are interested in the role of online video-sharing platforms, such as YouTube, Vimeo and others, for  the public communication of science and research.

Production

We are looking for various perspectives on the production of online videos, i.e. who creates and uploads videos with scientific and  environmental contents and what are the intentions and purposes of these videos? What are the differences and similarities between professional, amateur, institutional and other actors who produce online videos? How do the different creators of videos about science and the environment legitimize themselves and what audiences do they want to reach and for  what reasons? What are the differences in practices and intentions of  journalists, YouTubers, scientists, scientific institutions and others  when it comes to online video-sharing?

Content

Which scientific and environmental topics and what kinds of research and  knowledge are represented in publicly available online videos and which  are not? Are there certain scientific disciplines that use online videos for public and/ or intra-scientific communication more often than others? What kind of video formats, genres, videographic styles etc. are  most successful, widespread and adequate for science and environmental  communication? How can the quality of scientific online videos be  assessed? What role do misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy  theories play in online videos about scientific and environmental topics  and what could be done to successfully counteract erroneous and  problematic video content? Can differences concerning topics, frames or  aesthetic aspects be found and analyzed, and if so how? What are the differences between the online videos of professional, amateur,  institutional and other user/ producer cultures? Are there differences  in the online videos from diverse geographical locations, languages and disciplinary communities?

Audiences, reception and communities

How are online videos on science and the environment perceived by various audiences? Do scientists and researchers also make use of the  online-video format, and if so, how and why? How do different audiences make sense of the online videos they are watching and how do they affect perceptions, knowledge and attitudes? How do different users seek and find online videos about science and the environment and how do they  assess the credibility of the videos? What communities emerge around specific video channels featuring science and environmental online videos and how do various audiences/ communities and video creators  interact? What is the role of specific online video-sharing platforms  for the dissemination, recommendation and practices of environmental and  science communication via online video?

Methodological innovations

What quantitative, qualitative, computational and other methods could be used to study scientific and environmental online-videos and practices  of online video-sharing?

Practical perspectives

We are  also interested in perspectives of online video practitioners or researchers and others who experimented with online videos for science and environmental communication. We also welcome case studies and the experiences of science YouTubers and experience reports of exchanges with scientists, scientific institutions, journalists, filmmakers and others who use online videos for environmental and science communication.

We are looking for various types of contributions and articles types that address these and related questions and issues.

Article types

Frontiers in Communication: Section - Science and Environmental Communication
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/sections/science-and-environmental-communication#article-types

Frontiers in Environmental Sciences: Section - Science and Environmental Communication
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science#article-types

Frontiers in Human Dynamics: Section - Digital Impacts
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-dynamics#article-types


PS: If you are interested in science/environmental communication on YouTube these two links might also be of interest:

Allgaier, J. (2019): Science and Environmental Communication on YouTube: Strategically Distorted Communications in Online Videos on Climate Change and Climate Engineering. Frontiers in Communication, 4:36. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2019.00036
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2019.00036/full

Science communication online: The influence of YouTube and the youtubing of influencers
https://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/makingsciencepublic/2019/10/18/science-communication-online-the-influence-of-youtube-and-the-youtubing-of-influencers/


--

Dr. Joachim Allgaier
Senior Researcher
Human Technology Center (HumTec)
Chair of Society and Technology
RWTH Aachen University
Theaterplatz 14 /Raum 235
52062 Aachen /Germany

Twitter: @JoachimAllgaier
Web: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joachim_Allgaier