Video abstract

They can be defined as “peer-to-peer video summaries, three to five minutes long versions of academic papers” [Berkowitz, 2013][1] that “describe dynamic phenomena which are simply too complicated, too complex, too unusual, too full of information to do in words and two-dimensional pictures” [Whitesides, 2011].

The use and significance of video abstracts are continually increasing especially on the field of natural sciences and engineering, due to the complexity of modern research in these areas and the need of a precise visualization of temporal components by using techniques such as zooming or stretching.

To visualize their subjects, video abstract creators can choose from a wide variety of options: from simple whiteboard drawings, to screen-recordings, slide-shows and talking heads, the list is practically endless.

Some videos are targeted to academic circles - they use a lot of scientific terms -, while others present for a wider audience, even to the general public.

The free platform STEMcognito provides a place to publish, share, discuss, and create video abstracts related to STEM research.