Evolving visual narratives: A decadal analysis of science–art integration in Chinese STM journals

Objective. The cover design of scientific, technological, and medical (STM) journals served as a critical interface between science and art, playing a pivotal role in attracting readers, conveying research themes, and enhancing the visual identity of journals. This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of cover design in Chinese STM journals. Design. This study analyzed covers from 120 Chinese STM journals supported by Project for Enhancing International Impact of China STM Journals (PIIJ) and Excellence Action Plan for Chinese STM Journals (EAPJ) projects, spanning 17 essential science indicators subjects. Results. The analysis indicated that 56.67% of journals have adopted dynamic cover renewal, exhibiting notable disparities across different disciplines. A substantial majority of selected journals in the domains of biology, chemistry, and associated fields adopted dynamic renewal, while less than 50% of engineering and clinical medicine journals did so. A further analysis revealed a substantial decrease in the average interval between journal launch and dynamic cover adoption, from 51.68 years prior to 1980 to 0.53 years following 2010. A comprehensive analysis of 4,059 covers from 68 journals that adopted dynamic cover renewal revealed that non-thematic designs were predominant (67.87%), primarily featuring experimental objects and flowcharts, particularly in agricultural, environmental, and materials sciences. However, a notable increase in the proportion of thematic cover designs was observed, reaching up to 32.13% during the period from 2013 to 2021, particularly in chemistry, clinical medicine, and molecular biology. Of these, artistic drawings (28.74%) surpassed simulations (3.39%) as the preferred expressive form. A higher degree of thematic design activity was exhibited by journals in multidisciplinary, molecular biology and genetics, and neuroscience, while journals in environmental, plant sciences, and other related fields demonstrated prolonged but low-percentage usage. Conclusions. These findings underscored the mounting integration of science and art in the covers of STM journals, reflecting both disciplinary trends and evolving design strategies in the realm of Chinese academic publishing.