Paper short abstract:

Filmmaking and sound recordings in social sciences are now academically identified and recognized. However, publishing in the same object films and papers is still difficult for researchers. Thanks to new digital techniques affordable for the general public, some researchers published their work on private websites or blogs.In such a context, can we still use the word “paper” in its academic acceptance?

Paper long abstract:

Filmmaking and sound recordings in social sciences are now academically identified and recognized (visual and sound anthropology and sociology). However, publishing in the same object films and papers is still difficult for researchers.

In best cases, films, photos, edited sounds are shown in specialized festivals, symposiums or seminars. The luckiest will find an understanding publisher who will add a CD-ROM or DVD to a book.

Some researchers published their work on private websites or blogs, before such and way of publishing was institutionalized. This was made possible thanks to new digital techniques affordable for the general public.

Recently, compared to printed publishing, a few on-line scientific journals such as Ethnographiques.org, Sciences and video, or the most recent ones Anthrovision and Visual Ethnography fill a gap. Thanks to them we can think of a new way of disseminating this kind of studies and open new innovative and creative sciences paths.

In such a context, can we still use the word "paper" in its academic acceptance? Today, do affordable web documentary softwares allow us to realize our creative wishes or, in the contrary, because of programming logics, do they drive us to format even more our scientific production?

From our experiments with the Popcorn software, we'll try to bring some answers, to measure its stakes and possibilities in the aim of promoting our disciplines