GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences: Go to homepage

Knowing how knowledge works in the context of digitalization - Wi4impact

Digital knowledge transfer media at German higher education and research institutions

The Wi4impact study investigates the role of digitalization in knowledge transfer using the example of digital media. The key research question is: “How, with what goal, and with what impact have science blogs and podcasts from higher education and non-university research institutions in Germany supported and transformed the transfer of knowledge within science and between science and society over the last 15-20 years?” To answer this comprehensive question, the transfer media science blogs and podcasts are examined in a multi-stage process (Fig. 1). 

During the winter of 2022/23, we conducted a web-based search of the study sample, focusing on science blogs and podcasts from public universities, universities of applied sciences, and non-university research institutions in Germany. Using each institution’s website search function, we looked up the keywords “blog” and “podcast.” If a site lacked a search function, we instead performed a Google search using the institution’s name combined with either “blog” or “podcast.” For universities, we also expanded our search beyond their primary domain to capture content from central institutions such as university hospitals. Our primary interest was the activity status of the blogs and podcasts as of the cut-off date, September 1, 2021. We marked any media launched after this date as “new” (57 blogs, 172 podcasts) and labeled those with no updates for a year or more after the cut-off as “inactive” (183 blogs, 165 podcasts) (Fig. 2). In total, our web-based research identified 1,287 digital media outlets, with 7 blogs and 29 podcasts undated. 

After completing the web-based search, we reached out to the producers of active blogs (about 394) and podcasts (about 275) to gather insights into their production backgrounds, goals, and target audiences. In July and August 2023, 268 producers participated in the online survey, resulting in a 39.9% response rate. Humanities and social sciences were the most strongly represented academic fields, accounting for over 61%, followed by natural sciences and engineering (Fig. 3). Overall, the number of podcasts increased significantly across all disciplines during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Approximately 15% of transfer media could not be classified into the four main DFG disciplines. 

The results of the survey show that blogs and podcasts serve other goals in addition to knowledge transfer (especially scientific dialog and the promotion of cooperation), such as increasing the visibility of scientists or research projects. The media examined are primarily aimed at the public (79.1%) (especially citizens with a general interest in science and research), students (79.1%) and actors in the science system (70.1%), with a significantly higher proportion for blogs. On average, three target groups are addressed. 

On the basis of the survey and web data, a performance analysis aims to assess the effectiveness of the blogs and podcsats by applying the four-staged evaluation model above (Fig. 4). For this purpose, a second survey (n=60) was conducted to record reach six months after the first survey. Post views from the respective blog page and episode plays of the podcast streaming services used (primarily Spotify) were surveyed. In addition, semi-automated metrics of participation (followers and post interactions) and networking (accounts that share links to the blogs and podcasts analysed) were collected from social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X). Some science blogs and podcasts achieve an enormous reach with several hundred thousand to three million views per year. However, a reach of less than 100,000 views per year is more common. Significantly higher reach is achieved by media that combine both digital formats, blog and podcast. A key finding of the performance analysis is that financial and human resources are important for the sustainable implementation of the media and their reach. These data analyses show that the achievement of dialogue and networking goals via social media also depends on the available financial and human resources.In addition, only partial correlations between reach and subsequent activities on social media can be established, as media with a lower reach can also enter into dialogue and network widely.These social media activities also contribute to increasing reach.

In a final step, based on a performance ranking, a selected best practice sample is subjected to an in-depth qualitative content analysis. At least 50,000 blog views per year and 20,000 podcast plays per year were defined as threshold values for the ranking. All formats above these values (n=16; 9 blogs and 7 podcasts) were categorised as best practice. Two blog posts/podcast episodes each and follow-up communication in comments and social media were analysed along the four upper codes: content quality, formal quality, contextual characteristics and process and change characteristics. The procedure served to identify numerous production patterns of the case selection. While blogs are more factual and formal due to their written structure and rely more heavily on reduction, scientific archiving and reuse logics, podcasts make greater use of activation techniques to involve listeners and the dynamics of spoken language for emotional, personalised and process-oriented scientific communication. What the best practice cases have in common is that they all have a specific unique selling point, be it in terms of content, design or context. There are also professionalisation trends in both media in terms of formal structures and addressing socially relevant topics.

The research process is accompanied by a local stakeholder network, which contributes its expertise in dealing with digital science communication and thus ensures continuous reflection. The network, which includes scientists from the Technical University of Cologne, the University of Cologne and organizational communicators from the German Sport University Cologne and the GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, meets at regular intervals. The BMFTR-funded research project will end in September 2025.

  • Kuhle, Birte, Charmaine Voigt, Lydia Repke & Johannes Breuer. "Assessing the effectiveness of science blogs and podcasts in Germany." PCST 2025 - Using Science Communication to effect positive change: exploring transitions, traditions and tensions, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, 2025-05-28. https://abdn.eventsair.com/pcst2025, poster (3.02 MB)
  • Voigt, Charmaine, Kuhle, Birte, Repke, Lydia, Breuer, Johannes & Zervos, Sophie. “Wi4impact - Ergebnisse und Take Aways.” Verwertungsforum der BMBF-Förderlinie „Forschung zum Wissenstransfer“, GESIS – Institut für Sozialwissenschaften, Köln, 2025-05.09. https://www.wihoforschung.de/wihoforschung/de/
  • Voigt, Charmaine, Birte Kuhle, and Marlis Prinzing. "Evidenzbasiertes Update für Demokratie und Diskurskultur: Bürgerräte als Forum und Anker für Wissenstransfer." 70. Jahrestagung der DGPuK - Öffentlichkeit(en) und ihre Werte, FU Berlin, 2025-03-19. https://userblogs.fu-berlin.de/dgpuk/tagungsprogramm/vorprogramm/
  • Kuhle, Birte; Voigt, Charmaine & Zervos, Sophie. "Blogs und Podcasts effektiv gestalten. Workshop zu forschungsbasierten Erfolgsindikatoren." Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2024, Urania Berlin, 2024-12-12. Slide Download: https://gesisbox.gesis.org/index.php/s/pr7fXkok6YqSpdb
  • Voigt, Charmaine & Birte Kuhle. "Wi4impact: Befragung von Produzierenden deutscher Wissenschaftsblogs (und -podcasts)." Vernetzungsworkshop Infra Wiss Blogs, Institut für Bibliotheks- und Informationswissenschaften, HU Berlin, 2024-12-06. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14354474
  • Voigt, Charmaine & Kuhle, Birte. "Wissenstransfer durch digitale Medien: Forschungsergebnisse einer Befragung von Produzierenden deutscher Wissenschaftsblogs und -podcasts." Wisskomm Connected Konferenz – Forschung und Praxis der Wissenschaftskommunikation gemeinsam gestalten, Berlin Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin, Germany, 2024-09-11. https://transferunit.de/thema/wisskomm-connected-konferenz-forschung-und-praxis-der-wissenschaftskommunikation-gemeinsam-gestalten/
  • Voigt, Charmaine & Kuhle, Birte. "Blogs und Podcasts als Transfermedien zentraler und dezentraler Wissenschaftskommunikation." Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2023, Bielefeld, Germany, 2023-11-16. https://www.wissenschaft-im-dialog.de/forum-wissenschaftskommunikation/programm-2023/donnerstag-16-november/
  • Kuhle, Birte & Charmaine Voigt. "Mit Blogs und Podcasts Gesellschaftswissen schaffen Zwischenergebnisse zur Perspektive von Wissenschaftskommunikator:innen deutscher Hochschulen und außeruniversitärer Forschungseinrichtungen: Pitch & Postersession." Gesellschaftswissen schaffen. Chancen und Herausforderungen für Journalismus und Wissenschaftskommunikation im digitalen Zeitalter, Passau, Germany, 2023-09-22. https://www.uni-passau.de/wissjour23/programm. poster (1.75 MB)
  • Kuhle, Birte & Charmaine Voigt. "Kommunikation mit der Gesellschaft - Transferleistung von Wissenschaftspodcasts in der Kommunikationswissenschaft." 68. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft, Bremen, Germany, 2023-05-20.

Get in touch

Zervos, Dr. Sophie
Office of the Executive Board
Kommunikation und Transfer
 Team lead

+49 (0221) 47694-136
sophie•zervos[at]gesis•org
vCard