The Craft of Science Writing: Selections from “The Open Notebook,” Expanded Edition

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Siri Carpenter

The Craft of Science Writing

Selections from “The Open Notebook,” Expanded Edition

Siri Carpenter

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English

University of Chicago Press
15 January 2025

Science: general issues

Series: Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing

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 specialty 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 do data-driven reporting. 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.

Contributors:

Humberto Basilio, Siri Carpenter, Jeanne Erdmann, Dan Ferber, Tina Casagrand Foss, Geoffrey Giller, Laura Helmuth, Jane C. Hu, Alla Katsnelson, Roxanne Khamsi, Betsy Ladyzhets, Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Amanda Mascarelli, Robin Meadows, Kate Morgan, Tiên Nguyễn, Michelle Nijhuis, Aneri Pattani, Rodrigo Pérez 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, and Carl Zimmer

Edited by: Siri Carpenter
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: Second Edition
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 481g
ISBN: 9780226830292
ISBN 10: 0226830292
Series: Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 15 January 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

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 Tiên Nguyễn 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 Pérez 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 Writers. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Reviews for The Craft of Science Writing: Selections from “The Open Notebook,” Expanded Edition

“I recommend The Open Notebook to every writer, not just science journalists. Their story dissections are amazing, their pitch database is a goldmine, and their profiles of other writers are the best way to score insider tips and/or feel less alone in the struggle.” -- Nicola Twilley, author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves, on the previous edition “If I had to strip my go-to shelf of reporting and writing books down to a very few, this one would remain. . . . In an era when facts are under assault, this book is especially welcome.” -- Jacqui Banaszynski, Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter and editor, on the previous edition “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, professor and coordinator of the science & technology journalism program, Texas A&M University, on the previous edition