2026 Reports

Expanding Possibilities: Explainer Videos in Social Science Communication

Collins, Billy C.

Explainer videos’ concise and visually engaging format is well suited for distilling complex information for broad audiences. Explainer videos have been applied with measurable effect in science education and communication, where they are aligned with the field’s pedagogical and rhetorical conventions. Judging from their efficacy in the sciences and beyond, explainer videos have similar potential within the social sciences as a tool for education and outreach. However, when applied to the social sciences, explainer videos’ expository, top-down rhetorical format has incongruencies with constructivist thought and practice (Berger & Luckman, 1966; Guba & Lincoln, 1994). These practices tend to further employ self-reflective and participatory formats that highlight process and subjectivity, and directly or indirectly include and acknowledge the audience. Given these discrepancies, this paper asks how explainer videos could be applied to social science communication, how they compare to other popular forms of academic media, and how they may fit into a broader communications strategy.

Keywords: Explainer videos; Research translation; Educational videos; Expository documentary; Social science research communication