Science history and science communication: A preliminary exploration of science-history texts in <i>Science Pictorial</i> (1933–1949)

As one of China's oldest and most comprehensive popular-science journals, Science Pictorial has long been dedicated to promoting science and enhancing public scientific literacy. This paper presents a textual analysis of the science-history content in the journal from 1933 to 1949, exploring how mass media disseminated the knowledge of science history during the Republic of China era and the societal perceptions it reflected. The findings reveal that Science Pictorial's approach to science history reflects an empirical view of science and a progressive view of science history embraced by science communicators. This highlights the strong sense of national crisis felt by Chinese intellectuals at the time, the broad impact of scientific thinking and their deep respect for the scientific community. From a historiographical perspective, we propose that research on science communication should consider the communicators’ views on science and science history, as well as the ideological motivations and social forces shaping these views. This approach enables us to tackle more fundamental questions, such as why we conduct science communication and what we should communicate. We also suggest that science communicators should not only disseminate scientific knowledge but also account for the historical and cultural contexts of science. Ideally, they should develop a strong foundation in the historiography of science to help build a comprehensive framework for science communication.