Mastering Narrative, Video and Audio: Digital Storytelling for Science Communication
Four-part workshop for doctoral candidates in the humanities and the social sciences
Four-part workshop for doctoral candidates in the humanities and the social sciences
As a doctoral candidate, your research holds immense value. Its impact, however, depends on how well you communicate it. In academia (and beyond!), the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives is essential. Just like everyone is telling you right from the start of the doctoral journey: Not only your colleagues need to understand you, but also the broader public, stakeholders, and funding bodies.
Traditional academic writing has its place, but in the digital age, you need to go further. Digital storytelling is an innovative way to present your research in a way that resonates with diverse audiences. By blending narrative structures with multimedia tools (video, audio, visuals), this approach enables you to explain complex concepts clearly, engage non-specialists, and make your research accessible to a broader audience. Working in small groups or individually, you’ll develop your own digital story based on your research or your academic profile. This can be a project that explains your doctoral work, highlights a specific finding, or presents you as an early career researcher.
By the end of this workshop, you’ll not only have a completed digital project. You’ll have a set of science communication tools that will serve you throughout your (academic) career. Whether you’re preparing for a conference presentation, public outreach, or interdisciplinary collaboration, mastering digital storytelling can significantly enhance your ability to communicate content effectively.
Special feature: The Doctoral Schools will present your videos online and during events (format to be discussed) and the Corporate Communications Service Unit will present selected videos through the social media channels of the University.
Why you should participate:
- Understanding digital storytelling in research: We’ll start by explaining the concept of digital storytelling in a research context. You’ll see how it applies to science communication, using multimedia to explain your research in ways that go beyond a typical journal article or conference presentation.
- Structuring your research story: Every research project has a story. In this step, we’ll guide you through identifying the key narrative in your research — whether it’s your problem-solving journey, the impact of your findings, or the process behind a discovery. You’ll learn to distill complex information into digestible, relatable segments.
- Crafting a storyboard for your research: Storyboarding is a crucial planning tool for any digital story. You’ll map out how to present your research using visual, audio, and textual elements. This step ensures that your scientific message is clear and engaging, while maintaining the integrity of your research.
- Exploring digital tools for research communication: We’ll introduce you to digital tools that can help you bring your research to life. This includes video editing software, animation tools, data visualisation platforms, and audio narration techniques. You’ll get hands-on experience with tools that can make your presentations, videos, or outreach efforts stand out.
- Peer review and feedback: Once your digital story is created, you’ll present it to the group and digital creators. This collaborative review process will allow you to see how others interpret your research story, helping you refine it to ensure clarity and engagement across different audience types.
Target group:
Doctoral candidates in the humanities and the social sciences at the University of Vienna
When:
4 and 25 March 2025, 13:00–17:00
29 April and 20 May 2025, 15:00–17:00
Where:
Seminar room 11, 1st Floor, Kolingasse 14–16, 1090 Vienna
Trainers:
Christian Lendl & tba
Registration:
Via u:rise or by email to dshcs.hkw@univie.ac.at