A case study for the analysis of the rhetoric of crowdfunding communication

In research contexts today, scientists are increasingly using crowdfunding science platforms to make their work visible while inviting donations from the public, as well as to prompt their opinion on scientific topics. Using as a case study an experimental biology project in Experiment.com, the aim of this paper is to analyse and critically assess the rationale for the rhetorical organisation of this digital genre to understand the social demands the construction of crowdfunding projects entail. Results show a point in common between traditional and digital genres, and also a common communicative intention between the analysed project and that of traditional research articles. It is concluded that crowdfunding project proposals requires communicating scientific knowledge in a clear and accessible way but also conveying professionalism and credibility to persuade audiences that may not be specialized in the matter the project deals.