While the establishment of scientific journals in China has a history of more than 200 years, a substantial development came with the foundation of People’s Republic of China in 1949, especially after the Reform and Opening in 1978. This was not only a critical economic policy but also had important impacts on the academic field. On the one hand, with the explosive growth of research activities in China, the number of Chinese scientific journals and published articles increased sharply. On the other, communication and contact between Chinese and international researchers and journal editors became more frequent.
The National Medical Journal of China, one of the earliest Chinese scientific journals indexed by the SCI. Photographed by: Mingyue Han
With the background of Reform and Opening, this study will explore the role of Chinese scientific journals and editors on the international stage, the development of Chinese scientific journals and adjustment of editorial policies, and their influence on scientific activities. In doing so it will discuss the localization of the international practice of journal editing, and the internationalization of Chinese scientific journals. Through the window of scientific journals, a broad vision of interactions between Chinese and international scientific activities will therefore be presented.