Last week, I hosted an ‘Academic Podcasting’ workshop at Audiocraft 2020, bringing together a diverse group of scholars, podcasters, and audio enthusiasts. The Audicraft conference this year was virtual and so rather than a interactive lecture format with tasks I decided to make it more of a meetup and roundtable discussion. My goal was to lure research communicators and academics who pod out of the woodwork so we could nerd out together.
This event was a unique opportunity to discuss the intersection of academia and podcasting, revealing both challenges and exciting possibilities and lots of shared interests. We had a posse of around 22 participants, mostly women which was interesting, and a mix of locations and roles.
One of the key themes that emerged was the potential of podcasting as a legitimate form of scholarly output. Okay, maybe it didn’t so much emerge as I drove us there. The amazing Hannah McGregor was there, joining from Simon Fraser University in Canada. I asked about her groundbreaking work on developing methods for peer-reviewing podcasts. Her work with Amplify Podcast Network aims to elevate podcasts to the same level of academic recognition as journal articles or books, opening up new avenues for knowledge dissemination. I’m a big fan of both Witch, Please and Secret Feminist Agenda and the latter might be the first attempt anywhere of establishing a set system for peer-reviewed podcasting. I was totally fan-girling at having Hannah in the room and so grateful to her for sharing her insights on this topic.
Our group discussion also touched on the practical aspects of creating scholarly podcasts. Many participants highlighted the importance of balancing academic rigour with accessibility, ensuring that complex ideas are communicated in an engaging and understandable manner. This challenge resonated with my own experience in producing podcasts for the University of Melbourne, where I’ve worked to bridge the gap between academic research and public interest.
A particularly intriguing topic was the use of podcasting as a research methodology. I shared my recent experience contributing to a podcast on COVID-19, where invited urban scholars from around recorded their thoughts and experiences. This project not only resulted in a compelling podcast but a complementary journal article about the process, demonstrating how podcasts can generate multiple academic outputs simultaneously.
We talked about the technical and ethical considerations of academic podcasting. Participants discussed the need for clear guidelines on using interview excerpts, the importance of maintaining academic integrity in a more informal medium, and the potential impact of institutional affiliations on content freedom.
Perhaps most encouraging was the sense of community that emerged from the event. Many attendees expressed interest in forming an ongoing network to share resources, collaborate on projects, and continue these vital conversations. This enthusiasm reflects the growing recognition of podcasting’s value in academia and the desire for more structured support and development in this area.
As we concluded the workshop, it was clear that scholarly podcasting is more than just a trend – it’s a powerful tool for research communication, community building, and pushing the boundaries of academic expression. The challenges ahead are significant, but so too are the opportunities to reshape how we create and share knowledge in the digital age.
Just a shout out to some of the other people in the room and their creations – apologies I don’t have a comprehensive list but these are all top of my to-listen list now:
The Grass Ceiling by Sumithri Venketasubramanian which explores environmental sustainability issues has a great title.
Impact Studios where Emma Lancaster works are located at University of Technology Sydney and have podcasting projects funded by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (DVCR). Amazing support! Props to UTS.
Lee Tusman, an academic from Purchase College, NY, told us about their podcast Artists and Hackers which has a great name and a fun website.
Cherese Sonkkila discussed her upcoming podcast Living Things, about Australian ecology and funded by the Ecological Society of Australia. So happy to see funded podcasts!
Siobhan McHugh told us about Heart of Artness created with an art historian and an indigenous knowledge specialist as part of an Australian Research Council grant.