The power of storytelling and video: a visual rhetoric for science communication

Abstract

This research develops a conceptual framework for telling visual stories about science using short-format videos, termed SciCommercial videos, that draw upon marketing communication. The framework is illustrated by an exemplar, the Good Whale Watching video, which is explained using a visual rhetoric keyframe analysis. Finally, the effectiveness of the video is evaluated as a science communication tool using an empirical online survey with 1698 respondents. The results highlight the benefits of using video for storytelling about science by using our framework formula, modified from marketing practices, to produce videos that are Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Science Storytelling (SUCCESS).

Analogy as a catalyst for cumulative cultural evolution

“…In WEIRD (see Glossary) societies, story-telling is becoming a popular strategy for science communication initiatives (Henrich et al, 2010;Joubert et al, 2019). Evidence suggests that putting the usually abstract and unfamiliar process of scientific discovery in the context of a story makes the information more accessible, and digestible and memorable analogies are an acknowledged form of science communication (Finkler & Leon, 2019;Martinez-Conde & Macknik, 2017). Analogies themselves are abundant in the history of science, whether for describing the structure of an atom as planets orbiting the solar system, enzyme receptor systems as a lock and key, or carbon dioxide as a glass pane in a greenhouse.…”

A Good Story Well Told: Storytelling Components That Impact Science Video Popularity on YouTube

“…Then, they surveyed 1,698 individuals for the video impact and found a majority of viewers considered the video was telling a story, and more than 80% of respondents reported the video as engaging, informative, real, and believable. Moreover, 68.8% were likely or very likely to tell someone else about the video (Finkler and Leon, 2019). This finding indicates that the adoption of storytelling components proposed by the literature can indeed boost the effectiveness of a science video in reaching the audience and potentially changing attitudes.…”

“…Building on the work of Lambert et al (2003) and Finkler and Leon (2019), instead of using only one variable to assess the role of storytelling in a video, we sought to establish a series of fundamental components of storytelling to test their influence on video popularity in a large sample. To that end, we established a literature-based list of storytelling components along seven dimensions listed below.…”

The Rise of the Roboid

“…2. Visual rhetorical analysis is based on the skills typical of visual literacy, which provides the ability to analyse images for their form and meaning [15]. Drawing on methodological tools both from semiotics (the study of signs and symbols) and rhetorical analysis (based on Aristotle's three pillarsethos, pathos and logos-), visual rhetorical analysis decodes the main features of an image structure by looking at its significant meaning [26].…”