Video abstracts are associated with an increase in research reports citations, views and social attention: a cross-sectional study

Tristan Bonnevie; Aurore Repel; Francis-Edouard Gravier; Joel Ladner; Louis Sibert; Jean-François Muir; Antoine Cuvelier; Marc-Olivier Fischer

doi:10.1007/s11192-023-04675-9

Video abstracts are associated with an increase in research reports citations, views and social attention: a cross-sectional study

Scientometrics. 2023;128(5):3001-3015. doi: 10.1007/s11192-023-04675-9. Epub 2023 Mar 21.

Authors

Tristan Bonnevie^{1

2}, Aurore Repel³, Francis-Edouard Gravier^{1

2}, Joel Ladner⁴, Louis Sibert⁵, Jean-François Muir^{1

2

6}, Antoine Cuvelier^{2

6}, Marc-Olivier Fischer⁷

Affiliations

¹ ADIR Association, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France.
² UR3830 GRHVN, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), Normandy University, UNIROUEN, Rouen, France.
³ Pôle des deux Rives, Le Rouvray Hospital, Saint-Etienne du Rouvray, France.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, CHU Rouen, Inserm U 1073, Université de Rouen Normandie, 76000 Rouen, France.
⁵ Medical Training Center (MTC), Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France.
⁶ Pulmonary, Thoracic Oncology and Respiratory Intensive Care Department, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France.
⁷ Institut Aquitain du Coeur, Clinique Saint Augustin, 114 Avenue d'Arès, 33 074 Bordeaux Cedex, France.

Abstract

Video abstracts have been proposed as a tool to disseminate research through to social networks. However, its association with metrics of research dissemination has not been adequately investigated, particularly in the field of medical research. The aim of this study was to assess the association between video abstracts and citations, views and Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) of research papers. A cross-sectional study of research reports published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) over a 3-year period was conducted. An inverse binomial regression was used to assess factors associated with citations, views and AAS. The model included the presence of video abstracts as well as other independent covariables as potential confounding factors. 500 research reports were included in the analysis and 152 benefited from a video abstract. The median time from publication was 3.0 (2.2 to 3.6) years and 72% were RCTs. Research reports published with a video abstract were associated with an increase in citations (IRR 1.15), although this estimate came with uncertainty ranging from virtually no effect to a worthwhile effect (95% CI 0.98 to 1.35). There were also associated with a worthwhile increase in views (IRR 1.35, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.54) as well as with an increase in AAS (IRR 1.25, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.44). To conclude, video abstracts are associated with a worthwhile increase in the number of views of research reports. They are also associated with an increase in citations and social attention, although the association may be small.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11192-023-04675-9.

Keywords: Altmetrics; Citations count; Research dissemination; Social media; Video abstract.

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