The time, effort, and resources that go into a manuscript are significant. When your paper is finally ready to be published, you want as many people to read it as possible. However, millions of academic articles are published each year. So, how does one make sure that their work gets seen? By creating a video abstract, you can disseminate your research to the masses quickly across many platforms and drive traffic toward your papers. This video abstract and easily be shared online through social media. Social media is a valuable tool for a multitude of reasons, in particular, its accessibility.

Back to the Basics: What Is a Video Abstract?

A video abstract is like a visual lay summary. It's a short overview meant to introduce the reader to your research article. Generally, they're two to five minutes long. The aim, of course, is to tell the viewer about your research. Short-form videos have increased in popularity on social media and are a useful way to promote your work. Many social media sites have their own dedicated section for videos, so you can cross-pollinate your video and gather a lot of traction.

Before you get started, though, you'll need a few things.

Making a Video for Beginners

Before you start, you will need a camera (or phone) that can capture high-quality visuals. You'll also need a microphone and video editing software. If you're with an institution, you can often ask to borrow the video equipment (and maybe enlist the help of a few colleagues). Remember that libraries are often excellent resources for many such tasks.

Ultimately, a well-crafted script is the heart of your video abstract. Remember that a good video abstract can yield up to an 80% increase in views for your research. Even more importantly, on average, articles with video abstracts have been shown to be cited 20% more than articles without them. It pays to put in the effort.

Writing Tips

You want to keep people's attention. So, it's important to be clear, direct, and try to avoid scientific jargon (unless it's important to know). For instance, start with something that highlights the most important part of your research. Next, a bit of background on your topic, the process, conclusions drawn, and the future of your work. Your video abstract should be clear, organized, and to the point.

If you're not sure that your writing is up to the necessary standards, have someone else read it before you record anything. Remember to ask them to make sure that it is clear and easily understood. Information in video abstracts can help many readers understand the research more effectively.

Recording Your Video Abstract

Depending on which route you take, you may spend time recording yourself. Alternatively, you may need to create slides in PowerPoint to help you get your video organized.

If you're having trouble deciding how to approach your video, watch a handful of abstracts to get a sense of what others are creating. Not everyone has a strong understanding of video editing and video abstracts—you might want to consider hiring a service to take care of this sort of project for you. In many cases, these can be provided to you quickly for a reasonably low price. After that, you can focus more on promoting the content using social media or at conferences.

The Edit

People spend months mastering video editing software—it takes a lot of time and patience to edit well. Thankfully, plenty of free software exist, having been created with new users in mind. For example, CapCut is a popular editing app and site used to create TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. The video is automatically rendered in the correct ratio (16:9) for posting. You can download the video in HD and in a variety of file types. In particular, this is important as some online locations have file-size maximums. Beyond these examples, however, both Windows and Apple computers tend to have some form of video editing software these days.

Marketing the Future of Science

Making your research accessible is important. If you're applying for grants or looking for funders and collaborators, using a language and medium that are easy to understand can result in more people being interested in your work. The more interest there is, the more likely it will be that your research will spread. Not only that, but young audiences will be exposed to scientific possibilities they hadn't yet considered.

Making a video abstract can be intimidating despite the benefits. So, if you're looking for professional support, explore our Academic Video Service. We can transform your complex ideas into an engaging, high-quality scientific video.