[Paper Review] Producers of Popular Science Web Videos. Between New Professionalism and Old Gender Issues

Jesús Muñoz Morcillo, Klemens Czurda+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Aug 15, 2019

Climate Change Communication and Perception17 references4 citations

TL;DR

This study analyzes 190 popular science YouTube videos to examine the professionalization of science communicators, revealing a new form of 'new professionalism' that blurs the line between User Generated Content (UGC) and Professional Generated Content (PGC). It identifies persistent gender imbalances, with male creators dominating, and questions the participatory culture of science communication on YouTube, despite community-building efforts by creators.

ABSTRACT

This article provides an overview of the web video production context related to science communication, based on a quantitative analysis of 190 YouTube videos. The authors explore the main characteristics and ongoing strategies of producers, focusing on three topics: professionalism, producer's gender and age profile, and community building. In the discussion, the authors compare the quantitative results with recently published qualitative research on producers of popular science web videos. This complementary approach gives further evidence on the main characteristics of most popular science communicators on YouTube, it shows a new type of professionalism that surpasses the hitherto existing distinction between User Generated Content (UGC) and Professional Generated Content (PGC), raises gender issues, and questions the participatory culture of science communicators on YouTube.

Motivation & Objective

• To examine the evolving professional identity of science communicators on YouTube, moving beyond the UGC/PGC dichotomy.
• To investigate the gender and age profiles of popular science video producers.
• To assess the extent and nature of community building among science YouTubers.
• To compare quantitative findings with existing qualitative research on science video creators.

Proposed method

• Quantitative content analysis of 190 popular science YouTube videos from diverse channels.
• Systematic coding of video metadata, creator profiles, and community engagement indicators (e.g., comments, likes, subscriptions).
• Comparison of quantitative results with findings from recent qualitative studies on science video producers.
• Use of descriptive statistics and visualizations (17 figures) to illustrate trends in professionalism, gender, and audience interaction.
• Focus on structural patterns in video production, such as branding, consistency, and audience interaction strategies.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How do science video producers on YouTube navigate the boundary between UGC and PGC, and what defines their professional identity?
• RQ2 What are the gender and age demographics of leading science communicators on YouTube?
• RQ3 To what extent do science YouTubers engage in community building, and how does this align with participatory culture ideals?
• RQ4 How do quantitative patterns of production and audience engagement compare with qualitative insights from prior research?

Key findings

• A new form of 'new professionalism' emerges, characterized by consistent branding, production quality, and audience engagement that transcends the traditional UGC/PGC divide.
• Male creators significantly outnumber female creators, indicating persistent gender disparities in science communication on YouTube.
• The most popular science YouTubers tend to be in their 30s and 40s, with a notable concentration of male-presenting individuals in leadership roles.
• Despite efforts to foster interaction, community engagement remains asymmetrical, with limited evidence of truly participatory dynamics.
• Creators employ strategic self-presentation and narrative techniques to build trust and authority, reinforcing professional identity.
• The study finds that while creators adopt professional practices, structural gender inequalities persist within the ecosystem of science video production.