In this work, for the the first time, we connect the dots between interactive articles such as those featured in this journal and publications like The New York Times and the techniques, theories, and empirical evaluations put forth by academic researchers across the fields of education, human-computer interaction, information visualization, and digital journalism. Besides these groups, others such as academics, game developers, web developers, and designers blend editorial, design, and programming skills to create and publish explorable explanations , interactive fiction , interactive non-fiction , active essays , and interactive games . The usefulness of interactive articles is predicated on the assumption that these interactive articles actually facilitate communication and learning.