Abstract
For researchers, producing and publishing online video can be a means of directly sharing both our science and ourselves with a wide audience. However, media production often requires a substantial commitment of time, effort, and resources. Beyond this, publishing video on popular online platforms, like YouTube, is entering an ever-more crowded information marketplace. At the outset, considering the stories and distribution avenues specifically available to research scientists can guide their efforts in media production. In this practical perspective piece, I speak to a scenario of when media production is led or self-produced by a research scientist wanting to communicate their work. I present how research scientists have opportunities and access to stories that are rare among other professionals communicating science online. From disseminating the results of a peer-reviewed research paper, to making media about typically unseen aspects of science, online video is a medium that presents unique opportunities for researchers wanting to communicate their work. It can be a means of expanding the audience for and our own conceptions of scholarly work.
Highlights
Ten years ago, in the lab, I caught something unexpected on camera
If a reporter covers the work via the press release, they will see an option to embed the video with their article or request the media file to edit or upload onto their site
It is worth noting that, at the time, the YouTube channels to which these videos were upload had less than 1,500 subscribers, meaning these views originated from news media embeds rather than an established subscriber audience
Summary
In the lab, I caught something unexpected on camera. I was filming an experiment, recording what an ant queen would do when I reintroduced her to a group of her workers who had been separated from the colony. The proliferation of accessible tools for media-making and self-publishing online platforms such as YouTube offer scientists many opportunities to share their work in new ways. I am drawing on personal experience in merging online media production with my own research practice and using online video to help my colleagues share their work.
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