Digital Storytelling

Interested in introducing a digital project in your class? Request a consultation with the library's digital projects team.

Digital storytelling is the use of digital technology to tell stories. In research and academic settings, digital stories are a way of presenting research and knowledge using text, video, images, audio, maps, timelines and/or other digital media.

Research shared as a story engages broader audiences, including folks outside of university settings, in your research. It is a way of expressing information with narration - and the content is as important as the container. Digital stories can be basic - a narrated PowerPoint, for example, or detailed and professionally produced. Most fall somewhere in between, but they share a common process.

1. Come up with an idea: Define your topic or research question, state your purpose, and identify the audience for your work
2. Research, explore, and learn: Conduct your research and identify evidence
3. Write or script your story: Develop an outline for the research you are presenting, much like you would for a paper
4. Storyboard and plan for your digital story: Create a timeline and flow to visualize how your digital story will progress
5. Gather media: Locate the images, audio, and video you will use for your digital story
6. Put it all together: This is where you move into 'production' - build out your story in the platform or tool you selected
7. Share: Make your story accessible to your intended audience
8. Collect feedback and reflect