Chinese Scientific Journals on WeChat: Content Framing, Identity Representation, and User Engagement

Social media platforms have accelerated the shift in science communication from unidirectional dissemination to more interactive and participatory forms of engagement. However, relatively little is known how scientific journals use domestic platforms to disseminate research and signal authority. This study examines the WeChat Official Accounts of scientific journals indexed in the Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD), with particular attention to the types of content shared, symbolic and information cues embedded in post titles, and patterns of user engagement. By combining textual analysis with engagement metrics, the study investigates how Chinese scientific journals communicate scientific knowledge, highlight institutional and authorial prestige, and signal authority in a domestic social media environment. Findings indicate that posts predominately emphasize research content, while the frequent mention of senior scholars and elite universities suggests a prestige-oriented communication strategy. Symbolic cues related to authority and status are consistently associated with larger user engagement than purely informational content, suggesting that such cues play a significant role in shaping user responses on WeChat. These patterns partially align with perspectives from symbolic capital and dual-processing theory, highlighting the relevance of status and authority signaling in shaping audience interactions within social media-based science communication.