Publishers accepting video abstracts often set guidelines for the format. These differ depending on the character of the journal. It is therefore a good idea to study them before you start working on your abstract.

In 2014, Scott Spicer published his research about video abstracts. Even if the article describes a situation that may have changed in the intervening years, it is very interesting for our purposes. Its datasets are free to download and show guidelines the publishers of video abstracts have developed, amongst other things.

These guidelines are not uniform; they obviously mirror the diversity of journals. However, there are some indications that help you understand what a video abstract can add to a written publication. And there are others that show which technicalities authors need to focus on. Here is a selection:

• A video abstract should discuss the following points: the motivation for undertaking the study, a brief overview of methodology, and highlights of how the results advance the field of research.
• Video abstracts allow us to personalise our papers by showing the authors as they explain their research.
• Authors are encouraged to combine footage of themselves with other relevant material of interest, such as images, animations, footage of a running experiment or a lab tour.
• It is easy to hear and see everything in the video.
• Respect copyrights and personal rights.

Now reflect: What do you think is the most important guideline in this selection? What do you find the most intriguing?

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References

Spicer, S. (2014). Exploring Video Abstracts in Science Journals: An Overview and Case Study. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication, 2 (2), 1 - 13.

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