Additionally, posts with an explicit call to action produce high numbers of interactions. Analysis of the types of posts yielding the highest average of interactions shows that visual posts with little or no text tend to yield more audience engagement than most other frames. Other posts with relatively high engagement include calls to action and posts dealing with science funding. Higher engagement is seen on posts focused on visuals with little additional information. This relationship held up even when controlling for the frame of the post. From January 2014 to June 2017, Facebook-primary pages averaged 14,730 interactions per post, compared with 4,265 for posts on multiplatform pages. The average number of user interactions per post – a common indicator of audience engagement based on the total number of shares, comments, and likes or other reactions – tends to be higher for posts from Facebook-primary accounts than posts from multiplatform accounts. On average, the 15 popular multiplatform Facebook pages have increased their production of posts by 115% since 2014, compared with a 66% increase among Facebook-primary pages over the same time period. The volume of posts from these science-related pages has increased over the past few years, especially among multiplatform pages. Another 16% of posts were promotions or advertisements for media or events, 12% of posts were aimed at explaining a science-related concept, and the remainder used some other frame. Fully 21% of posts featured the practical applications of science information, relying on a “news you can use” frame.

Across the 30 pages, other frames were evident when researchers coded a representative sample of the posts. But that framing was rare on other pages. For example, that was true of ScienceAlert, IFLScience, NASA Earth and New Scientist. Some pages used a new-discovery frame in the bulk of their posts. While these 30 Facebook pages with a self-described focus on a science-related area cover a range of topics, just 29% of the Facebook posts from these pages had a focus or “frame” around information about new scientific discoveries.

Still, a few common themes emerged from a detailed content analysis of a random sample of 6,582 posts published in the first half of 2017. Each of these 30 science-related pages has its own distinctive flavor. New scientific discoveries are covered in 29% of the posts on these pages. Social media have also provided a platform for prominent science figures such as Stephen Hawking 2 (followed by 3.9 million users on Facebook as of June 2017), Bill Nye (followed by 4.8 million) and Neil deGrasse Tyson (followed by 4 million). For example, a single enterprising writer built the Facebook page IFLScience in 2012, which has grown to 25.6 million followers and a staff of approximately 15. This illustrates the degree to which social media have transformed the media landscape, making it easier and cheaper for those with few resources to provide unmediated content and garner followings. (See the Appendix for more details about the nature of these pages.) 1Īt the same time, “Facebook-primary” pages have arisen in a relatively short time and built impressive audiences. For instance, as of June 2017, National Geographic had 44.3 million Facebook followers, Discovery had 39 million and Animal Planet had 20 million. Multiplatform organizations have taken advantage of Facebook’s capacity to reach large numbers of followers on a new platform. Millions of people follow science-related pages on Facebook. Some of the key findings from this analysis: These science-related pages included 15 popular Facebook accounts from established “multiplatform” organizations – for example National Geographic and the Discovery Channel – along with 15 popular “Facebook-primary” accounts from individuals or organizations that have a large social media presence on the platform but are not connected to any offline, legacy outlet. In an effort to better understand the science information that social media users encounter on these platforms, Pew Research Center systematically analyzed six months’ worth of posts from 30 of the most followed science-related pages on Facebook. Millions of people see science-related information on their Facebook feeds or elsewhere on social media, but the kinds of science stories people most likely encounter are often practical tips with “news you can use” or promotions for programs and events rather than new developments in the science, engineering and technology world.

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