ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter presents an overview of the role of online video in science communication. The digital environment offers a new range of options for communicating science to the public, which acquire increasing relevance in the new paradigm of ‘science with society’. In the early 21st century, online video has grown exponentially, to the point of accounting for over 70% of Internet global traffic. Consequently, it has become a tool of enormous potential capacity for communicating science. However, academic research in this area is still scarce. This chapter summarises some of the main findings of the Videonline project, an international study conducted by 15 researchers from nine universities across five countries, which provides an updated analysis of the current panorama of online video as a tool to communicate science and technology.
