Neef et al. address South Africa's plastic bag pollution, proposing strategies derived from an online workshop with a diverse audience. Recommendations include economic incentives, structural changes, and behavioral interventions to reduce plastic bag use. Stakeholders advocate for comprehensive approaches, emphasizing community engagement over conventional measures like increased levies or complete bans. They stress the importance of education, social norms, and creative communication tools like videos for promoting sustainable practices. Their findings can inform policymakers, businesses, educators, and individuals in tackling plastic pollution sustainably.

Bento et al. explore the Native Scientists science engagement program activity to promote scientific literacy and multilingualism through small-group workshops conducted in heritage languages, facilitating interactions between scientists and students from migrant communities. A qualitative analysis reveals scientists' motivations, predominantly societal and personal, aligning with their expectations and outcomes, including transferable skills, networking, and personal fulfillment. The in-person workshops and shared characteristics between scientists and students emerge as influential engagement factors, suggesting the importance of embodied narratives in science outreach.

Stanek et al. evaluate the impact of the #1in10 visual social media health campaign, co-created by the Danish Endometriosis Patient Association and women with endometriosis. Seven themes emerged from interviews, indicating meaningful participation and increased awareness. Social media metrics revealed substantial engagement, reaching various stakeholders. The campaign empowered participants, fostered community support, and garnered societal attention, highlighting its effectiveness on individual, communal, and societal levels in raising awareness and recognition of endometriosis, an underdiagnosed disease often surrounded by taboo.

Wiles et al. bring us insights on their experience spurred from the “Flatten the Curve” graphic, one of the most impactful viral campaigns in social media about COVID-19 during the pandemic period. More than 70 graphics were produced and widely distributed as accessible and multi-language visual communication products. In this article they describe key outputs of the Wiles Morris successful collaboration and offer advice for scientists-illustrators collaborations in translating complex information in an accessible, clear and concise fashion.

Sánchez-Holgado et al. explore the impact of data visualization in journalism, comparing traditional news with data-enhanced journalistic pieces. Their study (N = 700) indicates that data visualization increases comprehension and fosters positive attitudes toward it. Factors like comprehension and interest significantly influence attitudes, suggesting avenues for further investigation into data-driven news performance.

Bierer and Kassis dive into understanding the use of numeric data in healthcare and clinical research for informed decision-making, emphasizing the role of communicators to ensure information facilitates comprehension and autonomy that leads to health numeracy. This article introduces health numeracy in clinical research, advocating for tailored communication strategies, discussing seven numeric concept categories and emphasizing the importance of supportive visuals to enhance understanding of research-related information. They further conclude that increasing communicator awareness of health numeracy and utilizing visual representations in clinical research communication can better serve audience needs.

Schorn presents a mini review that compiles the state of research on explainer videos, with a focus on persuasive effects in informal settings. Even though these are frequently used for educational purposes, they lack a consistent definition and categorization in literature. While most studies focus on their educational value, they also serve persuasive goals. However, there's limited research on their persuasiveness, despite their significant role in promoting scientific topics and marketing. Explainer videos, with their storytelling techniques and informal style, potentially influence attitudes and behaviors. Understanding their impact, particularly in science communication, is crucial due to conflicting information online. This review highlights research gaps and emphasizes the need to explore their persuasive effects in informal settings.

Finally, Faulkes analyses the visual structure of award-winning student posters from a large scientific society conference showing that these mainly adopt a journal article format, with about 75% following an “Introduction, methods, results, discussion” structure and two-thirds using a columnar layout. They commonly include multiple graphs and references, despite minimal formatting requirements. Despite traditional formats on poster design, new designs such as billboards or digital formats can bring new opportunities for increased dissemination and publication.

JM: Conceptualization, Writing – original draft. AC: Conceptualization, Writing – review & editing. PJ: Writing – review & editing.