Research communication guide
How do I make a video abstract for a scientific paper?
Updated by the Vidi team
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A video abstract is a short video, made by the authors, that explains why the study was done, how it was done and what it found. It usually combines narration, on-screen text and visuals. Publishers post video abstracts on the article page, on the journal's YouTube channel, or both. Authors also reuse the file on social media and within their own institution.
It does not replace the paper. Elsevier's VAA journal says the video should add something to the written paper and should not replace it. A graphical abstract is a single image that has to make sense at a glance. A video abstract has room for a short spoken story.
This guide covers what your journal may ask for, how long the video should be, how to structure the script, the main ways to produce it, and the mistakes worth avoiding.
How it works
How to make a video abstract with Vidi
Bring the paper and set the format
In Research with Vidi, upload the PDF (up to 50 MB and 300 pages) or add the paper by DOI, arXiv ID or link. Choose a length from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, and keep within your journal's limit. Pick 16:9 for a widescreen video or a talk, or 9:16 for social media. Narration can be an AI voice or your own recording, in English or Vietnamese. For a quick explainer, you can paste your abstract into Vidi instead.
Check every claim against your paper
Each claim is labelled supported, simplified, interpretation or analogy, and must quote the page it comes from. Vidi checks that the quote is really on that page and leaves unsupported claims out. A quote only shows where a claim comes from, not that the reading of it is right, so you check the meaning. In a quick explainer, you review and edit the script scene by scene before it is animated.
Download, compare with the journal rules, and share
Download the video with subtitles and a transcript, or share an unlisted link that you can switch off at any time. Before you submit, compare the video with your journal's instructions on length, format and timing. Then make sure viewers know where to find the full paper.
Start with your journal's rules
Before you write anything, find your journal's instructions for video abstracts. They decide the length, the timing and what the video must contain.
Timing matters. Elsevier's VAA journal asks authors not to submit a video until the paper is accepted, and it sends instructions shortly after acceptance. IOP Publishing sets a limit of four minutes. It asks that the video introduces the topic, highlights the main results and conclusions, and discusses possible future developments in the field. The video must have clear verbal narration, avoid small text, and be understandable to people outside your immediate field. IOP strongly encourages images, animations and lab footage.
Also check where the video can go. IOP says its copyright lets you host the video on your own website as well as on IOP's. Other publishers may set different terms, so read yours before you post it elsewhere. If you plan to show figures from other people's work, check the reuse permissions too.
Some topics suit video more than others. Gupta and colleagues suggest video may be the preferred medium for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, qualitative research, perspectives and techniques.
Length and structure that work
Guidance on length varies. VAA asks for around 2 to 3 minutes, with a maximum of 3. IOP caps videos at four minutes. Gupta and colleagues call 3 to 5 minutes ideal. The University of Kentucky notes that journals ask for 2 to 4 minutes. Aim for 2 to 3 minutes unless your journal says otherwise, and treat the journal's limit as the one that counts. Pubrica, a vendor, suggests a script of under 300 words.
Conference Alerts suggests a simple structure for a 3-minute video. Give about 45 seconds each to the problem, your approach, the finding and what it means. Keep the methods high-level, and show the key result with a chart or graphic.
Write the script first. Give each scene one idea and one visual. Start with the one finding you want people to remember. Use everyday words, and define any term you cannot avoid. Stay within your paper's main findings, as Gupta and colleagues advise. End by telling viewers where to read the full paper, as Editage recommends.
Picture and sound without a studio
If you film yourself, VAA's guidance is practical. Any camera that records sound will do. Hold a phone horizontally so it records in landscape. Keep it steady on a tripod or hand-grip at eye level, and stand away from the background. VAA adds that a science video does not need to be expensive to be effective.
Take care with sound. Enago advises a quiet place, a good microphone and a well-lit room. Editage stresses clear audio with background noise removed. Record a short test first, listen back on headphones, then record the rest.
On screen, use large text and few words. IOP asks you to avoid small text, so a dense figure from the paper may need simplifying, or zooming in on the part that matters. Add captions so the video works with the sound off. The University of Kentucky's media service includes closed captions.
Ask your communications or media office what they offer. Kentucky's office, for example, schedules studio time, provides a teleprompter, lets you rehearse and shows your figures while you talk. You send them the journal's deadline and requirements.
Mistakes to avoid
Going over the journal's limit. Enago warns that going beyond five minutes makes it more likely you will wander off topic.
Packing in detail and jargon. Editage lists both as problems. A video abstract is not a thesis, and Pubrica advises picking only the most important points.
Visuals with no voice. IOP requires clear narration of what is on screen.
Poor audio from noisy rooms or built-in microphones, and shaky handheld or portrait phone footage.
Submitting before acceptance when your journal, like VAA, asks you to wait.
Claiming more than your paper shows. This is easy to do when you simplify, and it is a real risk with AI-written scripts too. Read every line against the paper.
Forgetting the call to action. Tell viewers where the full article is.
Ways to make a video abstract
| What it involves | Good for | Trade-offs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film yourself | Any camera that records sound, a phone held horizontally, and a tripod at eye level (VAA guidance) | A personal, low-cost video. VAA says it does not need to be expensive | Can be flat without visuals. Narration and readable-text rules still apply |
| Narrated slides or figures | Your own figures shown on screen while you narrate | Showing the key result with a slide, chart or graphic, using material you already have | Easy to cram in small text, which IOP asks you to avoid |
| Animation and motion graphics | Telling the story with animation, motion graphics and audio, with minimal text (as Editage describes) | Explaining mechanisms or processes | Takes the most time to learn and produce |
| Institution media office | Studio time, a teleprompter, rehearsal, your figures on screen and closed captions (University of Kentucky example) | A professional result if your institution offers it | Depends on availability and on their schedule |
| Paid vendor | Companies such as Editage, Enago and Pubrica make it for you | A polished result with little of your own time | Costs money. Ask them for prices |
| Vidi | Add your paper to Research with Vidi, or paste your abstract into Vidi. AI drafts the script, narration, animation and captions | An animated, narrated draft without editing skills, with claims tied to page quotes in Research with Vidi | AI drafts must be checked. Paper videos are narrated in English or Vietnamese. A paper video costs 9 credits |
Limits worth knowing
- Journal rules differ, and this guide cannot list every publisher's file format, size or caption requirements. Your journal's instructions override any general advice here.
- AI drafts can be wrong. In Research with Vidi, a quote shows where a claim comes from, not that the reading of it is right, so check the meaning of every scene yourself.
- Vidi paper videos are narrated only in English or Vietnamese. A Research with Vidi project costs 9 credits, and new accounts start with 5. Free accounts make only vertical videos of up to 45 seconds, and widescreen quick explainers need Pro or higher.
- Vidi makes animated, narrated explainers. If your topic calls for you on camera or for real lab footage, filming it yourself or working with your media office is the better choice.
Sources
- Create a video abstract for your VAA paper (Elsevier VAA journal)
- Video abstracts (IOP Publishing)
- Gupta et al. 2021, video abstracts with free software (J Korean Med Sci)
- University of Kentucky Research Communications: video abstracts
- How to create a video abstract for a research paper (CASRAI)
- How to create a video abstract (Conference Alerts)
- Create a powerful video abstract for your research paper (Editage)
- Top 6 tips for a video abstract (Enago Academy)
- Create the perfect video abstract for a research paper (Pubrica)
How long should a video abstract be?
Aim for 2 to 3 minutes unless your journal says otherwise. VAA asks for a maximum of 3 minutes, and IOP for no more than four. Gupta and colleagues consider 3 to 5 minutes ideal. Your journal's own limit is the one to follow.
Do I have to appear on camera?
Check your journal's instructions. The guides used here describe several routes: filming yourself, narrating slides or figures, and animation. IOP, for example, requires clear verbal narration of the visuals and strongly encourages images, animations and lab footage. Whichever route you choose, keep the narration clear and the text readable.
When should I make and submit it?
Check your journal. VAA asks authors not to submit a video until the paper is accepted and sends instructions shortly after acceptance. You can still draft the script earlier, so you are ready when the invitation arrives.
Will a video abstract increase views or citations?
There is no simple answer. One source says journals often report more page views for papers with video abstracts, but adds that the effect on downloads is hard to measure because too many other things vary. Make one because it helps people understand your work, not for a promised boost.
What is the difference between a graphical abstract and a video abstract?
A graphical abstract is a single static image that should make sense at a glance. A video abstract is usually a video file of a few minutes, with narration or on-screen text, that walks viewers through the problem, the method, the finding and its meaning.
Should I pay a company to make it?
It can save you time if you have a budget. Editage, Enago and Pubrica sell video abstracts, and their guides also advertise those services. First ask whether your institution's media office offers help. Some, like the University of Kentucky's, provide studio time, a teleprompter and captions.
Can I post the video on my own website?
It depends on the publisher. IOP says its copyright lets authors host the video on their own website as well as on IOP's. Other publishers may have different terms, so check your agreement before posting it on your lab, department or social media pages.