Extended Abstract: Accessible Abstracts: Mapping Publishers' Focus on Plain-Language Summaries, Graphic Abstracts, and Video Abstracts

Many scientific journals now require or recommend accessible, short synopses of articles, often authored by researchers themselves and aimed at non-specialized audiences. These accessible abstracts include primarily plain-language summaries, as well as graphic and video abstracts. Publishers claim these genres increase scope, access, and impact metrics of research. Despite the impacts of and wide demand for these genres, they are not well attended in technical and professional communication (TPC). Set against a synthesis of existing research on these three types of abstracts, this session introduces a 2-part study investigating how 10 top scientific publishers support these genres. Part one includes a content analysis of the goals, features, audiences, and recommendations described by publishers. Part two includes a companion rhetorical analysis of a subset of samples of each abstract type. This project delivers a picture of recent research on abstract-based approaches to communicating science. This analysis yields concrete and theoretical insights into the current status of this persistent approach to accessible science as a basis for further projects in TPC.