Abstract
The editors-in-chief of Cultures of Science have suggested that there should be two special issues on research into science culture and science communication in China this year to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the People's Republic of China. Due to the rapid development of science and technology in China in recent years, the fusion of modern Western culture and China's unique culture makes science culture in China interesting and appealing to many researchers in China and elsewhere.
The first issue about the topic is coming in June, which includes six papers from Chinese researchers in science culture and science communication. The invited editor of the issue intends to give a brief overview of this research domain to international colleagues via the selected papers. They cover the topics of technological innovation, Chinese medicine, science communication policy, public demand for science communication, science education activities, and so on. The topics, while all dealing with China, are as diverse as possible, and the six papers are all evidence-based. They are structured in line with analytical frameworks derived from certain theories and supported by arguments based on results from both qualitative and quantitative analyses. For many years, there has been a lack of evidence-based research in Chinese science communication. Most papers in this intellectual domain have either extrapolated from theory to theory or used purely empirical analysis to make their points. These six papers show, in a nutshell, the perspectives, focuses and methodologies of science communication research in China in recent years via evidence-based data. They present thoughts and insights by case study or data analysis.
The first two papers pay close attention to how and why scientific and technological development and its communication varies in different cultural contexts. Interestingly, the following two papers, which are about policy research and public demand for science communication through the internet, analyse the Chinese Government's and the Chinese public's priorities in ‘giving’ or ‘receiving’ scientific information. The authors of the last two papers chose more concrete subjects and collected their data by questionnaire, which is a typical method in evidence-based research. Starting from small details, they lead us to very interesting results; they conclude that, to get more inspiring ideas, critical thinking and constructive suggestions with the support of all these raw materials still requires effort from both authors and readers.
I commend this edition to you.