The International Web Documentary Association is based on the recognition that there’s more to telling compelling documentary stories on the Internet than posting a YouTube video to a blog, or using a web site to feature some or all of a made-for-TV/Theater film or video.

Rather, A web documentary is a documentary production that differs from the more traditional forms of documentary storytelling—video, audio, photographic—by utilizing the full complement of multimedia tools to create the documentary experience. The interactive multimedia capability of the Internet provides documentarians with a unique medium to create non-linear productions that combine photography, text, audio, video, animation and infographics.

The purpose of the IWDA is to advocate for greater awareness of the Web Documentary as an emerging storytelling art form amongst those who are interested in producing web documentaries, those who would be interested in viewing web documentaries, and to those for whom web documentary creators turn for funding, from grant providers to corporate sponsors.