ScienceOnline'09: Video in Scientific Research

In the second session I attended Saturday, Moshe Pritsker of JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments) and Apryl Bailey of SciVee talked about two options for publishing research videos: journal-like and YouTube-like.

• why publish research videos? to demonstrate techniques that aren't easily explained
• essentially pits a scientific article description against a demonstration
• text does NOT provide adequate description of biological experiments; solution is to visualize description of experimental methods
• similar to cooking: helps if someone shows you either in real-life or TV show
• JoVE is a video journal; indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE
• focuses on three key issues: incentives, tools, format
• grants and publications are two things scientists care about, so JoVE is a video journal not a video database
• has an editorial board
• operates a distributed network of video production to help those who lack the necessary tools [none in NC, closest in GA]
• videos are divided by chapters
• although not immediately available on site, embedded code for flash videos available upon request for including in papers
• brings video and text together
• are scientists taught not to speak in jargon? as publication intended for other experts in field, jargon may not be a problem, as the video visualizes the jargon; also pointed out that verbal description of experiment methodology often different than written description
• video production network is competitive advantage for JoVE
• 70,000 visitors/month; 200,000 downloads; 80% scientific/academic visitors
• SciVee is a science media repository: a science video website that can be synchronized with other media
• pubcast = peer-reviewed paper + video
• people more quickly grasp paper topic
• offers profiles and communities so people can connect on SciVee; lots of room for growth in this area
• people wanted to upload videos not connected to papers, so SciVee began accepting
• postercasts document transient poster session information; gets research to a larger audience
• from postercasts people developed slidecasts
• papercasts is a new format about to be rolled out: videos and papers not published in peer-reviewed journals
• JoVE charges a $1000 production fee if they do the video through network, but if a researcher creates a video there is no charge to publish in JoVE
• SciVee's poster presentation feature very helpful
• biology and medicine are the most sensitive fields to visual description but could be expanded to chemistry, applied physics, ecology, etc.
• SciVee uses share revenue model with conferences by agreeing to host posters
• in addition to charging for video production, JoVE also sells advertising, had European investments
• JoVe is for-profit; SciVee is moving from non-profit to for-profit
• SciVee tries to negotiate OA when working with others not amenable to OA
• SciVee's software is proprietary, but might eventually move toward open source
• viewers have to be cognizant of commercial vs. educational video
• SciVee can be embedded but not duplicated on own website or blog
• can't say that much in script; bulk of info in written part; layperson wouldn't understand because need to have basic knowledge; benefit to simplifying so mass scientific audience can understand, but not necessarily mass general audience
• talking through methods while demonstrating uses different language than writing methods
• might be best to have different language in video than accompanying text so people can view/assess from two different angles
• just as likely to find appeal among older scientists who have tenure because more willing to experiment than among younger scientists who are more techno hip
• institutions would be nervous about videos with animals being posted despite videos being peer-reviewed for proper handling; issues include safety for researchers when face is shown; regular publishing at least only gives name