Social media uptake of scientific journals: A comparison between X and WeChat

TL;DR

This study compares the adoption and engagement of scientific journals on X and WeChat, revealing significant differences influenced by local contexts and highlighting the importance of diverse social media metrics.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of social media use by scientific journals on X and WeChat, emphasizing the role of local platforms in science communication.

Findings

22.7% of SCIE journals use X, while 84.4% of CSCD journals have WeChat accounts.

User engagement is mostly low-effort interactions on both platforms.

Weak-to-moderate correlations between bibliometric and social media metrics.

Abstract

This study examines the social media uptake of scientific journals on two different platforms - X and WeChat - by comparing the adoption of X among journals indexed in the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE) with the adoption of WeChat among journals indexed in the Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD). The findings reveal substantial differences in platform adoption and user engagement, shaped by local contexts. While only 22.7% of SCIE journals maintain an X account, 84.4% of CSCD journals have a WeChat official account. Journals in Life Sciences & Biomedicine lead in uptake on both platforms, whereas those in Technology and Physical Sciences show high WeChat uptake but comparatively lower presence on X. User engagement on both platforms is dominated by low-effort interactions rather than more conversational behaviors. Correlation analyses indicate weak-to-moderate relationships between bibliometric indicators and social media metrics, confirming that online engagement reflects a distinct dimension of journal impact, whether on an international or a local platform. These findings underscore the need for broader social media metric frameworks that incorporate locally dominant platforms, thereby offering a more comprehensive understanding of science communication practices across diverse social media and contexts.