Abstract:

Recent studies indicate that 70% to 90% of results published in science journals are not reproducible, which presents troubling uncertainty about the future of scientific research.

In contrast to the text-only format of traditional journals, novel video-based journals allow for systematic, step-by-step visualized demonstrations of research experiments.

Video articles produce a more efficient transfer of knowledge between laboratories and therefore offer a viable solution to the issue of reproducibility. To quantify the savings of time and money generated by this alternative mode of scientific communication, we conducted a number of case studies among academic laboratories who use the peer-reviewed video journal, JoVE. One study determined that using video as a guide to learn a new dissection technique saved a bioengineering lab at the University of Washington $40,000. A second case study found that a laboratory at Cornell University studying muscular dystrophy eliminated 6 months of experimentation by learning a new complex stem cell injection technique from the video journal. Results from a third study indicated that a laboratory at the University of Helsinki shortened the time to learn a surgical technique from 1 year to 2 weeks. Together, these studies indicate that video publication significantly enhances the reproducability and productivity of scientific research.