United States
£ GBP
A deeply sourced, inclusive guide to all aspects of science writing with contributions from some of the most skilled and award-winning authors working today.
Science writing has never been so critical to our world, and the demands on writers have never been greater. On any given day, a writer might need to explain the details of AI, analyze developments in climate change research, or serve as a watchdog helping to ensure the integrity of the scientific enterprise. At the same time, writers must spin tales that hook and keep readers, despite the endless other demands on their attention. How does one do it? The Craft of Science Writing is the authoritative guide.
With pieces curated from the archives of science writers' go-to online resource, The Open Notebook, this book explores strategies for finding and shaping story ideas, pitching editors, and building a speciality in science writing. It delves into fundamental skills that every science writer must learn, including planning their reporting; identifying, interviewing, and quoting sources; organizing interview notes; and crafting stories that engage and inform audiences. This expanded edition includes new introductory material and nine new essays focusing on such topics as how to establish a science beat, how to find and use quotes, how to critically evaluate scientific claims, how to use social media for reporting, and how to use data. In addition, there are essays on inclusivity in science writing, offering strategies for eradicating ableist language from stories, working with sensitivity readers, and breaking into English-language media for speakers of other languages.
Through interviews with leading journalists offering behind-the-scenes inspiration as well as in-depth essays on the craft offering practical advice, readers will learn how the best science stories get made, from conception to completion.
Note to Readers
Introduction / Siri Carpenter
Part 1: Who Is a Science Journalist and How Do You Become One?
1. How to Use Reporting Skills from Any Beat for Science Journalism / Aneri Pattani
2. Trading the Pipette for the Pen: Transitioning from Science to Science Writing / Julia Rosen
3. Do You Need a Science Degree to Be a Science Reporter? / Aneri Pattani
4. How to Break into English-Language Media as a Non-Native-English Speaker / Humberto Basilio
5. Feeling Like a Fraud: The Impostor Phenomenon in Science Writing / Sandeep Ravindran
6. What Is Science Journalism Worth? / Kendall Powell
7. Nice Niche: How to Build and Keep Up with a Beat / Knvul Sheikh
8. A Conversation with Amy Maxmen on "How the Fight against Ebola Tested a Culture's Traditions" / Amanda Mascarelli
Part 2: What Makes a Science Story and How Do You Find One?
9. Is This a Story? How to Evaluate Your Ideas Before You Pitch / Mallory Pickett
10. Sharpening Ideas: From Topic to Story / Dan Ferber
11. Critically Evaluating Claims / Megha Satyanarayana
12. Finding the Science in Any Story / Kate Morgan
13. Pitching Errors: How Not to Pitch / Laura Helmuth
14. Five Ways to Sink a Pitch / Siri Carpenter
15. What Makes a Good Pitch? Annotations from the TON Pitch Database / Roxanne Khamsi
16. A Conversation with Kathryn Schulz on "The Really Big One" / Michelle Nijhuis
Part 3: How Do You Report a Science Story?
17. Is Anyone Out There? Sourcing News Stories / Geoffrey Giller
18. Interviewing for Career-Spanning Profiles / Alla Katsnelson
19. How to Conduct Difficult Interviews / Mallory Pickett
20. Including Diverse Voices in Science Stories / Christina Selby
21. How to Find Patient Stories on Social Media / Katherine J. Wu
22. Pulling It All Together: Organizing Reporting Notes / Sarah Zhang
23. Gut Check: Working with a Sensitivity Reader / Jane C. Hu
24. When Science Reporting Takes an Emotional Toll / Wudan Yan
25. A Conversation with Annie Waldman on "How Hospitals Are Failing Black Mothers" / Tasneem Raja
Part 4: How Do You Tell Your Story?
26. Good Beginnings: How to Write a Lede Your Editor and Your Readers Will Love / Robin Meadows
27. Nailing the Nut Graf / Tina Casagrand Foss
28. How to Find and Use Quotes in Science Stories / Abdullahi Tsanni
29. Like Being There: How Science Writers Use Sensory Detail / Jyoti Madhusoodanan
30. Eradicating Ableist Language Yields More Accurate and More Humane Journalism / Marion Renault
31. Good Endings: How to Write a Kicker Your Editor and Your Readers Will Love / Robin Meadows
32. The First Critic Is You: Editing Your Own Work / Tien Nguyen
33. A Conversation with Linda Nordling on "How Decolonization Could Reshape South African Science" / Jeanne Erdmann
Part 5: How Do You Build Expertise in Science Writing?
34. How to Read a Scientific Paper / Alexandra Witze
35. What Are the Odds? Reporting on Risk / Jane C. Hu
36. Spotting Shady Statistics / Rachel Zamzow
37. Problems with Preprints: Covering Rough-Draft Manuscripts Responsibly / Roxanne Khamsi
38. Getting the Most out of Scientific Conferences / Rodrigo Perez Ortega
39. Interrogating Data: A Science Writer's Guide to Data Journalism / Betsy Ladyzhets
40. Explaining Complexity / Carl Zimmer
41. How to Do a Close Read / Siri Carpenter
42. A Conversation with Maggie Koerth on "The Complicated Legacy of a Panda Who Was Really Good at Sex" / Ed Yong
Acknowledgments
Contributors
Index
Siri Carpenter is an award-winning science journalist and editor whose writing and editorial work has appeared in the New York Times, Science, Discover, Scientific American, Science News, bioGraphic, and other publications. She is co-founder, executive director, and editor-in-chief of The Open Notebook, a non-profit organization that is widely regarded as the leading source of online training and educational materials for journalists who cover science. She is a past president of the National Association of Science. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Contributors:
- Humberto Basilio
- Siri Carpenter
- Tina Casagrand
- Jeanne Erdmann
- Dan Ferber
- Geoffrey Giller
- Laura Helmuth
- Jane C. Hu
- Alla Katsnelson
- Roxanne Khamsi
- Betsy Ladyzhets
- Jyoti Madhusoodanan
- Amanda Mascarelli
- Robin Meadows
- Kate Morgan
- Tien Nguyen
- Michelle Nijhuis
- Aneri Pattani
- Rodrigo Perez Ortega
- Mallory Pickett
- Kendall Powell
- Tasneem Raja
- Sandeep Ravindran
- Marion Renault
- Julia Rosen
- Megha Satyanarayana
- Christina Selby
- Knvul Sheikh
- Abdullahi Tsanni
- Alexandra Witze
- Katherine J. Wu
- Wudan Yan
- Ed Yong
- Rachel Zamzow
- Sarah Zhang
- Carl Zimmer
"If I had to strip my go-to shelf of reporting and writing books down to a very few, this one would remain. I am neither a scientist nor a science journalist, but The Craft of Science Writing offers valuable tips for any reporter or editor, of any experience level, covering any topic. In an era when facts are under assault, this book is especially welcome." -- Jacqui Banaszynski, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and editor, Knight Chair Professor Emerita at the Missouri School of Journalism, and editor of Nieman Storyboard
"Since 2010, The Open Notebook has served as an indispensable online guide to science writing. With The Craft of Science Writing, they've distilled those years of insights into an excellent survey of the field. You'll find the nuts and bolts here-how to read a scientific paper, how to craft a lede, and so on. But you'll also get a sense of what it's like to wake up every morning and face the delights and dread that this job brings." -- Carl Zimmer, journalist and author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh
"Listen up, journalism professors, students, and media professionals! You won't find a better guide to the art (and craft) of science writing than this book. The Open Notebook has produced a fascinating, informative, empathetic, and pragmatic tour through an increasingly vital set of skills. Whether you cover politics, education, national security, transportation, or business, the ability to write intelligently about science is now essential. Luckily for us, TON has distilled almost ten years' of expert observation and insight to light the way." -- Jennifer Kahn, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and Narrative Program Lead, University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
"Accessible, informative, and engaging, The Craft of Science Writing can serve as an excellent resource for both classroom instruction and self-study. A welcome contribution!" -- Barbara Gastel, MD, professor and Science Journalism Program coordinator, Texas A&M University
"Great collection of advice from some of the smartest voices in science writing. It's sure to be of help to people just starting out in the field, as well as to professors to the next generation of science writers." -- Robin Marantz Henig, author, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, and past president of the National Association of Science Writers
