The science of YouTube: What factors influence user engagement with online science videos?

Yang, Shiyu; Brossard, Dominique; Scheufele, Dietram A.; Xenos, Michael A.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0267697

Cited by 35 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(58 reference statements)

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“…No other factor had a significant effect on audience engagement. The number of likes is often seen as a user filter and an indicator of popularity and can reflect video quality 22 35–37. Interestingly, the DISCERN instrument’s category on quality of treatment choices affected the video’s audience engagement in our study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Mpox (monkeypox) information on TikTok: analysis of quality and audience engagement

et al. 2023

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BackgroundOnline information on mpox (monkeypox) is not well studied. We have analysed the video content, information quality, and audience engagement of mpox-related videos on TikTok.MethodsUsing a hashtag-based searching strategy, we identified 2462 mpox-related videos on TikTok from 1 January to 11 August 2022; 85 were included after exclusion criteria screening. Videos were evaluated for content on features and treatment of mpox. Video and information quality was assessed using the DISCERN instrument and theJournal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) criteria. We recorded video source, evaluation scores, and viewer engagement metrics. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistical analysis and multiple linear regression for factor-association studies.ResultsOf the 85 videos, two assessed all content topics and highlighted 33% of all content items in clinical guidelines. The overall average score for the videos was 39.56 of 80 on the DISCERN instrument and 1.93 of 4 on the JAMA criteria. No video met all JAMA criteria. Subgroup analysis based on author identity suggested the variance in video scores by source (p<0.05 for all). Overall scores were higher for videos produced by doctors and science communicators than for those made by institutional users, nurses, and the general public. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that having people in the video (69.20, p=0.0001) and including information on treatment choices (1.15, p=0.045) were significant, independent determinants of audience engagement.ConclusionPublic-directed TikTok videos on mpox frequently provide incomplete, inaccurate information, highlighting the potential risks of using TikTok as a health information source.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Mpox (monkeypox) information on TikTok: analysis of quality and audience engagement

et al. 2023

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“…Interestingly, no correlation was found between audience engagement and a video’s DISCERN scores. The number of likes is commonly viewed as a collective filter and as an indicator of popularity, which may reflect video quality [ 19 , 51 , 52 ]. However, our findings suggested that, similar to that in other platforms, the audience on the TikTok platform pay more attention to the identity of the author rather than the content and quality of the video.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality and Audience Engagement of Takotsubo Syndrome–Related Videos on TikTok: Content Analysis

Liang¹,

Wang²,

Song³

et al. 2022

J Med Internet Res

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Background The incidence of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also known as the broken heart syndrome or stress cardiomyopathy, is increasing worldwide. The understanding of its prognosis has been progressively evolving and currently appears to be poorer than previously thought, which has attracted the attention of researchers. An attempt to recognize the awareness of this condition among the general population drove us to analyze the dissemination of this topic on TikTok, a popular short-video–based social media platform. We found a considerable number of videos on TTS on TikTok; however, the quality of the presented information remains unknown. Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the quality and audience engagement of TTS-related videos on TikTok. Methods Videos on the TikTok platform were explored on August 2, 2021 to identify those related to TTS by using 6 Chinese keywords. A total of 2549 videos were found, of which 80 met our inclusion criteria and were evaluated for their characteristics, content, quality, and reliability. The quality and reliability were rated using the DISCERN instrument and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria by 2 reviewers independently, and a score was assigned. Descriptive statistics were generated, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistical analysis. Multiple linear regression was performed to evaluate the association between audience engagement and other factors such as video content, video quality, and author types. Results The scores assigned to the selected video content were low with regard to the diagnosis (0.66/2) and management (0.34/2) of TTS. The evaluated videos were found to have an average score of 36.93 out of 80 on the DISCERN instrument and 1.51 out of 4 per the JAMA criteria. None of the evaluated videos met all the JAMA criteria. The quality of the relayed information varied by source (All P<.05). TTS-related videos made by health care professionals accounted for 28% (22/80) of all the evaluated videos and had the highest DISCERN scores with an average of 40.59 out of 80. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that author types that identified as health professionals (exponentiated regression coefficient 17.48, 95% CI 2.29-133.52; P=.006) and individual science communicators (exponentiated regression coefficient 13.38, 95% CI 1.83-97.88; P=.01) were significant and independent determinants of audience engagement (in terms of the number of likes). Other author types of videos, video content, and DISCERN document scores were not associated with higher likes. Conclusions We found that the quality of videos regarding TTS for patient education on TikTok is poor. Patients should be cautious about health-related information on TikTok. The formulation of a measure for video quality review is necessary, especially when the purpose of the published content is to educate and increase awareness on a health-related topic.

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“…In addition, some studies have tried to map scientists on Twitter, covering various disciplines (Ke et al, 2017). And while there are several studies that have specifically focused on other social media platforms besides Twitter (e.g., Debove et al, 2021;Hubner & Bond, 2022;Jarreau, Cancellare, et al, 2019;Jarreau, Dahmen, et al, 2019;Yang et al, 2022;Zeng et al, 2021), Facebook seems to remain understudied.…”

Section: Scientists' Social Media Usagementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the early days of science communication on social media, new platforms have come to scholarly attention. For example, studies have analyzed science communication on YouTube (Debove et al, 2021;Yang et al, 2022), Instagram (Jarreau, Cancellare, et al, 2019), Reddit (Hubner & Bond, 2022), and even TikTok (Zeng et al, 2021). Moreover, while scientists have adapted well to the changing social media landscape, there has been a lack of engagement on Facebook, even though it is still among the most widely used social media platforms in many countries (Newman et al, 2022) and one of the primary sources from which regular citizens encounter scientific information and issues (Hargittai et al, 2018;Mueller-Herbst et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maximizing Science Outreach on Facebook: An Analysis of Scientists’ Communication Strategies in Taiwan

Rauchfleisch

Kao

Tseng

et al. 2023

MaC

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The internet, and especially social media platforms, offer scientists new opportunities to connect with a broader public. While many studies have focused on science communication on Twitter, surprisingly few have analyzed how scientists use Facebook, even though it is an essential platform for the general public in many countries. A possible explanation for this lack of research is that scientists keep their Facebook profiles separate from their work life and are more active on Twitter in their professional roles. Our study challenges this assumption by focusing on Taiwan as a peculiar case. Due to the local culture, Twitter is less popular there, and scientists are more active on Facebook, even in their professional roles. In our study, we analyzed 35 public pages of scientists on Facebook and assessed the factors explaining the reach of their communication using content analysis in combination with a multilevel model that allowed us to test predictors on the page level, such as the number of fans, in combination with predictors on the post level, such as the complexity of the language used. Our study shows that Facebook can play an influential role in science outreach. To effectively communicate with the audience on Facebook, it is best to use strategies that appeal to new and existing followers. Posts that address current issues and include opinions are likely to be shared widely, while humor or personal self-disclosure is likely to engage the existing audience. Our study contributes to the current debate about alternatives to Twitter in science communication.

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The science of YouTube: What factors influence user engagement with online science videos?

Cited by 35 publications

References 56 publications

Mpox (monkeypox) information on TikTok: analysis of quality and audience engagement

Mpox (monkeypox) information on TikTok: analysis of quality and audience engagement

Quality and Audience Engagement of Takotsubo Syndrome–Related Videos on TikTok: Content Analysis

Maximizing Science Outreach on Facebook: An Analysis of Scientists’ Communication Strategies in Taiwan

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