SpringerLink
Log in

Reconceptualisation of Genre(s) in Scholarly and Scientific Digital Practices: A Look at Multimodal Online Genres for the Dissemination of Science

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Digital Scientific Communication

  • 136 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter looks into an online genre resulting from recent scholarly and scientific digital practices: popular science online videos. These are short videos of approximately 10 minutes in which a varied and validated scientific content is disseminated to the general public. We adopt a multimodal discourse analysis approach and use specialised annotation software for the analysis of recontextualisation strategies (Valeiras-Jurado et al., Ibérica: Revista de la Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos, 35, 93–118, 2018; Luzón, Ibérica. Journal of the European Association of Languages for Specific Purposes, 37, 167–192, 2019; Rowley-Jolivet & Carter-Thomas, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 48, 1–14, 2020) and modes used to enact them in the four examples selected: (1) Why Megalodon (Definitely) Went Extinct, (2) Why the Muon g-2 Results Are so Exciting!, (3) The Physics Girl: What Is the Magic Russian Diamond? and (4) Why Are We the Only Humans Left?—YouTube. Our findings suggest that the composition and semiotic affordances of the multimodal ensembles employed play a decisive role in a successful recontextualisation of scientific content.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Argyle, M., Ingham, R., Alkema, F., & McCallin, M. (1981). The different functions of gaze. In A. Kendon (Ed.), Non-verbal communication, interaction and gesture (pp. 221–237). Mouton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bezemer, J. A., & Kress, G. (2008). Writing in multimodal texts: A social semiotic account of designs for learning. Written Communication, 25(2), 166–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boy, B., Bucher, H.-J., & Christ, K. (2020). Audiovisual science communication on TV and YouTube. How recipients understand and evaluate science videos. Frontiers in Communication, 5, 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter-Thomas, S., & Rowley-Jolivet, E. (2020). Three minute thesis presentations: Recontextualisation strategies in doctoral research. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 48, 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, R., Erickson, F., Lemke, J., & Derry, S. J. (2007). Selection in video. In S. Derry (Ed.), Guidelines for video research in education: Recommendations from an expert panel (pp. 19–27). Data Research and Development Center at the University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jewitt, C., & Kress, G. (Eds.). (2003). Multimodal literacy. Peter Lang.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kastberg, P. (2011). Knowledge asymmetries: Beyond ‘to have and have not’. Fachsprache: Internationale Zeitschrift für Fachsprachenforschung -didaktik und Terminologie, 33(3–4), 137–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendon, A. (2004). Gesture: Visible action as utterance. Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication (2nd ed.). Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ladewig, S. H. (2013). Creating multimodal utterances: The linear integration of gestures into speech. In C. Muller, A. Cienki, E. Fricke, S. Ladewig, D. McNeill, & S. Teßendorf (Eds.), Body-language-communication: An international handbook on multi-modality in human interaction (Vol. I, pp. 1662–1677). De Gruyter Mouton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luzón, M. J. (2019). Bridging the gap between experts and publics: The role of multimodality in disseminating research in online videos. Ibérica. Journal of the European Association of Languages for Specific Purposes, 37, 167–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luzón, M. J., & Pérez-Llantada, C. (2019). Connecting traditional and new genres: Trends and emerging themes. In M.-J. Luzón & C. Pérez-Llantada (Eds.), Science communication on the Internet: Old genres meet new genres (pp. 1–18). https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.308.01luz

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Luzón, M. J., & Pérez-Llantada, C. (2022). Digital genres in academic knowledge production and communication. Perspectives and practices. Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781788924726

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Müller, C. (2013). Gesture as a medium of expression: The linguistic potential of gestures. In C. Muller, A. Cienki, E. Fricke, S. Ladewig, D. McNeill, & S. Teßendorf (Eds.), Body-language-communication: An international handbook on multi-modality in human interaction (Vol. I, pp. 202–217). De Gruyter Mouton.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Halloran, K. L., Tan, S., & Marissa, K. L. E. (2015). Multimodal analysis for critical thinking. Learning, Media and Technology, 42, 147–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2015). Making open science a reality, OECD science, technology and industry policy papers. OECD Publishing (No. 25).

    Google Scholar 

  • Paltridge, B. (2012). Discourse analysis (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Llantada, C. (2021). Genres and languages in science communication: The multiple dimensions of the science-policy interface. Language & Communication, 78, 65–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Querol-Julián, M. (2011). Evaluation in discussion sessions of conference paper presentations: A multimodal approach. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing GmbH & Co. K.G., Saarbrücken.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowley-Jolivet, E., & Carter-Thomas, S. (2019). Scholarly soundbites. Audiovisual innovations in digital science and their implications for genre evolution. In M.-J. Luzón & C. Pérez-Llantada (Eds.), Science communication on the Internet: Old genres meet new genres (pp. 81–106).

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rowley-Jolivet, E., & Carter-Thomas, S. (2020). Three minute thesis presentations: Recontextualisation strategies in doctoral research. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 48, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100897

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz-Madrid, M. N. (2021). A multimodal discourse approach to research pitches. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 52, 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sancho Guinda, C. (Ed.). (2019). Engagement in professional genres. John Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scotto di Carlo, G. (2014). The role of proximity in online popularizations: The case of TED talks. Discourse Studies, 16(5), 591–606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scotto di Carlo, G. (2015). Stance in TED talks: Strategic use of subjective adjectives in online popularisation. Ibérica: Journal of the European Association of Languages for Specific Purposes, 29, 201–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stöckl, H. (2014). Typography. In S. Norris & C. D. Maier (Eds.), Interactions, images and texts. A reader in multimodality (pp. 281–295). Walter de Gruyter.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Valeiras-Jurado, J. (2019). Modal coherence in specialised discourse: A case study of persuasive oral presentations in business and academia. Ibérica: Revista de la Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos, 37, 87–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valeiras-Jurado, J., & Bernad-Mechó, E. (2022). Modal density and coherence in science dissemination: Orchestrating multimodal ensembles in online TED talks and Youtube science videos. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valeiras-Jurado, J., & Ruiz-Madrid, M. N. (2019). Multimodal enactment of characters in conference presentations. Discourse Studies, 21(5), 561–583.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valeiras-Jurado, J., Ruiz-Madrid, N., & Jacobs, G. (2018). Revisiting persuasion in oral academic and professional genres: Towards a methodological framework for Multimodal Discourse Analysis of research dissemination talks. Ibérica: Revista de la Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos, 35, 93–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Towards a semiotics of typography. Information Design Journal, 14(2), 139–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vicente-Sáez, R., & Martínez-Fuentes, C. (2018). Open science now: A systematic literature review for an integrated definition. Journal of Business Research, 88, 428–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • **a, S. A., & Hafner, C. A. (2021). Engaging the online audience in the digital era: A multimodal analysis of engagement strategies in TED talk videos. Ibérica: Revista de la Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos, 42, 33–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y., & O’Halloran, K. L. (2013). From popularization to marketization: The hypermodal nucleus in institutional science news. In E. Djonov & S. Zhao (Eds.), Critical multimodal studies of popular discourse (pp. 172–190). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research has been supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities [grant number PGC2018-094823-B-I00] and Research Promotion Plan at Universitat Jaume I (Spain) [grant number UJI-B2020-09].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain

    Noelia Ruiz-Madrid & Julia Valeiras-Jurado

Authors
  1. Noelia Ruiz-Madrid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Julia Valeiras-Jurado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Noelia Ruiz-Madrid .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    Ramón Plo-Alastrué

  2. Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    Isabel Corona

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ruiz-Madrid, N., Valeiras-Jurado, J. (2023). Reconceptualisation of Genre(s) in Scholarly and Scientific Digital Practices: A Look at Multimodal Online Genres for the Dissemination of Science. In: Plo-Alastrué, R., Corona, I. (eds) Digital Scientific Communication. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38207-9_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38207-9_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-38206-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-38207-9

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation