Follow the Fossils: Developing Metrics for Instagram as a Natural Science Communication Tool

Samantha B. Ocon , Lisa Lundgren , Richard T. Bex II , Jennifer E. Bauer , Mary Jane Hughes , Sadie M. Mills

ISBN 10: 1009157485 / ISBN 13: 9781009157483

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2021

About this Item

75 pages. 8.94x5.98x0.24 inches. In Stock. This item is printed on demand.

Seller Inventory # __1009157485

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Follow the Fossils: Developing Metrics for Instagram as a Natural Science Communication Tool
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1009157485
• ISBN 13: 9781009157483
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Brand New
• Weight: 0.07 kilograms

About this title

Synopsis

The ability for people to connect, learn, and communicate about science has been enhanced through the Internet, specifically through social media platforms. Facebook and Twitter are well-studied, while Instagram is understudied. This Element provides insight into using Instagram as a science education platform by pioneering a set of calculated metrics, using a paleontology-focused account as a case study. Framed by the theory of affinity spaces, the authors conducted year-long analyses of 455 posts and 139 stories that were created as part of an informal science learning project. They found that team activity updates and posts outside of their other categories perform better than their defined categories. For Instagram stories, the data show that fewer slides per story hold viewers' attention longer, and stories using the poll tool garnered the most interaction. This Element provides a baseline to assess the success of Instagram content for science communicators and natural science institutions.