PODCASTING AS A SUCCESSFUL TOOL FOR DISSEMINATING RESEARCH INFORMATION

Podcasting, generally defined as the distribution of digital media over the internet, is a concept that dates back to only 2004. While podcasting has become increasingly mainstream, it is still a new and rapidly growing phenomenon. About 100 million Americans have heard of podcasts, 40 million have listened to podcasts, and 9 million listen to podcasts regularly. Despite these large figures, note that most people have never listened to any podcast. The potential of podcasting to impact dissemination of scientific information is tremendous and may best be fulfilled by thinking of podcasting in terms of its open potential rather than a mature medium whose current uses should merely be replicated.

I will discuss the experience of Science Audio, a scientific podcasting business, in using podcasting as a publication model. Much as research is published in print and on the internet, Science Audio uses podcasting RSS feeds to publish original productions of audio reports directly related to scientific and clinical research. One benefit of using audio to communicate research information is the ability of listeners to multitask; listeners can hear research summaries and commentaries while engaged in other activities such as commuting. Another benefit is the increased information density of oral versus written communication in commentaries, editorials, and interviews.

Listener data of research podcasts produced in 2006 reveals four trends. First, growth is ongoing and viral in nature. Second, there is a "long tail" of archival access, where a large number of listeners access older podcasts. Third, listeners prefer to listen to complete podcasts of all current research segments as opposed to listening only to individual segments. Fourth, there is surprisingly widespread international reach, with non-US listeners representing 23% of total listeners and over 30 countries on five continents.

These trends all point towards a successful use of podcasting as a tool for disseminating research information. Future success, however, will likely be predicated on continual innovation in the use of podcasting as a communication tool.