“The Open Notebook is the home of science journalism. It’s not surprising that all science writers are devoted to the priceless resources it offers. TON’s legacy will be defined by how it has shaped the careers of journalists from across the worldincluding me.” ~ Abdullahi Tsannifreelance science journalist
“Even as a local reporter who previously hasn’t covered scienceI used the The Open Notebook‘s Pitch Database to learn how to write an effective pitch. Other resources that helped were the free Master Classes as well as their articles on topics such as curating a media diet and how to tackle a first draft. As I pivot to covering health and scienceI’m enjoying going through the TON archives to glean what craft lessons I can use to serve local audiences. And of course I’m looking forward to their future articles and courses.” ~ Roxanne Scottfreelance journalist
“The Open Notebook takes the intimidation out of doing the evidence-based work that our communities rely on us to do. Through The Open NotebookI’ve gotten the support that I’ve been wanting my whole career. I’m a steadiermore self-assured journalist because of it. I’ve never been a part of a program that’s been so ego-free and so generous. The [Sharon Dunwoody Science Journalism Mentoring] program solidified meand I think armed mein a way that I’m going to keep seeing the benefits ofbecause I had a mentor who understood exactly what I was trying to work on and saw me. Kudos to the team that that paired us.” ~ Helina Selemonscience reporter at the New York Amsterdam News
“The Open Notebook represents the community that every writer needs and not enough of us get to find: an honestethicalopen-hearted group who share their best advice so that everyone can rise. The founders had the vision to imagine the site and the courage to trust that others felt the same hunger for online science writing learning. They’ve been rewarded over and over again with the generosity of writers who share their pitchesprocess and even their rates of pay to the benefit of all.” ~ Maryn McKennajournalist for The New York Times MagazineThe AtlanticNPRand other publicationsand author of Big Chicken: The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats
“Out of 10 newcomers interested in building a career in science journalismnine will drop out after a few days or weeksand one will keep moving forward until reaching a tipping point. At that pointthis one would quit if no one was there guidingsupportingmentoringand inspiring. This is how I see TON’s impactby building an inclusive community of science journalistswhere we can feel a sense of belonging and be empoweredmentoredand guided by experts. This feeling motivates us to keep moving forward no matter what challenges we face or how hard things can be.” ~ Saad Lotfeyjournalist and creator of the Science Journalism Forum
“Since I started my career as a science journalistThe Open Notebook has been not only an invaluable source of information to hone my craftbut a space to inspire meconnect with other science journalistsand even help me become more aware of sensitive issues that I didn’t even know could be a problem in my reportinglike parachute journalism or language errors in stories that include Indigenous communities. I decided to give to The Open Notebook because it is more than just a ‘how to’ site; it’s an organization on a mission to improve science communication all over the worldand helping journalists access opportunities that seemed inaccessible while becoming better reporters and humans in the process.” ~ Myriam Vidal Valerofreelance journalist
“TON is just a really incredible resource for science journalistsand particularly freelancers. It’s just great having a sense that you’re part of a global community as welland seeing what other science journalists around the world and doing and achieving. It’s an amazing resource. Absolutely amazing.” ~ Bianca Nogradyscience journalist and author
When I first set foot on the United States in 2018 to seek an engineering degreeI had some idea of what science writing should look likebut it wasn’t quite clear how I could be part of it. SureI loved talking about science and societybut I haven’t found my audienceand I certainly didn’t know how to write. My department never offered courses on non-technical communication eitherso I turned to social media for help. Everyone who responded mentioned The Open Notebook.
TON was a game-changer for me thanks to the quality and accessibility of its reporting and resources. I learned about how to write a powerful lede with Ed Yong’s “North Atlantic Right Whales Are Dying in Horrific Ways” Storygramand how story structures vary quite differently from research articles. I began annotating articles I came across and saving excerpts into a file of “things that worked for other folks” that I could emulate. I used TON as a springboard to get in touch with new mentorscolleaguesand friends. This years-long process convinced me that Itoohave a career in science writing. After graduating from collegeI joined the MIT Graduate Program in Science Writingand guess what? The first day of classour assigned readings were more TON resources.
At this timeI began appreciating what I could offer to the TON community: my multilingual reporting chopsmy lessons learned from setting the scene using contemporaneous social media postsmy knowledge from building a worker-run science news outletas well as my lived experience of surviving as an international student. Just as I have benefited so much from the generosity of those who came before meit was natural for me to give back wherever I could. I started participating in interviews for TON stories about how to break into English-language media as a non-native (which was included in the second edition of The Craft of Science Writing!) and writing science explainers for local audiences. I also became active in the TON International Students Slacksharing tips and links that could make the process smoother for newcomers.
For mewhat really stands out about TON is its unwavering belief that everyone can be a better science writerand a firm moral stance that “everyone” truly means everybody. In these turbulent times when it seems America couldn’t be further from evidence-based discourseThe Open Notebook is a city upon a hillshowing the world what science could achieve if we came together as a community: bringing claritywonderand nuance to a world that sorely needs it. ~ Alex Ipscience journalist and founder of The Xylom
“The Open Notebook is truly the freelancer’s friend. Wondering about the amount of editing you’re getting? Check TON. Wondering what a successful pitch to a particular outlet looks like? TON’s got the answer. Wondering about pay rateshow your favorite journalist put a story togetherhow to negotiate higher payhow to blogwhat makes a good essay? TON,TON,TON,TONand TON. (Sounds like a song!) TON is doing St. Francis de Sales’ work (he’s the patron saint of journalists)creating a community that makes lonely freelancers feel less lonelyand more empowered.” ~ Joanne Silbernerfreelance reporter and former correspondent for National Public Radio
“I wish The Open Notebook had been around when I was just starting out as a science journalist. The whole process of science writing can seem mystifying at first, from finding ideas and sources to organizing material and telling a compelling story. TON demystifies that process by providing an ever-expanding repository of tipslessonsand insights from some of the best in the business—for free! Anytime new writers ask me for adviceI point them to TON.” ~ Liza Grossjournalist and author of The Science Writers’ Investigative Reporting Handbook
“No one else is doing what The Open Notebook is doing: They’re taking a hard look at the process behind exemplary pieces of science journalism andthrough frankin-depth conversations with the authors themselveshelping all science journalists improve their craft.” ~ Michelle Nijhuisproject editor at The Atlanticcontributor to National Geographic, The New York Times Magazineand The New Yorker‘s Elements blog
“The Open Notebook offers not only a wealth of resourcesit provides community to science writers at every stage of their career. TON embodies generosity. By reading the site’s expert and timely articleswe can become better storytellers together.” ~ Tiên Nguyễnjournalist and filmmaker
“Writing is a lonely art. The vast majority of the processfrom coming up with ideas to structuring a pieceis carried out in solitude. When you start outyou barely have a clue about what you’re doinglet alone what seasoned professionals get up to. Getting those pros to deconstruct their own methods for all to see is a massive boon to aspiring science writers.” ~ Ed YongPulitzer Prize–winning science journalist and author
“When I discovered The Open Notebook as a newbie engineer-turned-science-writer from Indiastruggling to understand the nuances of science writingI was blown over by the wealth of resources that were free! Reading each of those carefully curated articleswritten by writers from all over the worldhas helped me become a better science journalist. If there is a way to democratize science writingTON has shown us how to do itand I hope it will continue to guide many like me.” ~ Spoorthy Ramanfreelance science journalist
“I recommend The Open Notebook to every writernot just science journalists. Their story dissections are amazingtheir pitch database is a goldmineand their profiles of other writers are the best way to score insider tips and/or feel less alone in the struggle.” ~ Nicola TwilleyCo-host of the Gastropod podcastauthor of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our FoodOur Planetand Ourselvesand frequent contributor to The New Yorker
“I owe my whole career to The Open Notebook. Having TON take a shot on me was monumentalin a country like Mexico where there was no clear path. That gave me the courage to take the next steps in my career. That’s why it’s always been The Open Notebook for me.” ~ Rodrigo Pérez OrtegareporterScience magazine
“Proper praise for The Open Notebook would first observe how essential good science writing is to a functioning democracyand how few resources exist to develop it. It would then note how TON’s emergence from out of the blue as the hub that I and every other science writer I respect gather at to discuss our stories and hone our skills underscores its uncanny sense of how to fill that need. But if you really want to know my favorite thing about TONit is the selfish pleasure of having a fellow-science writer ask me questions about a process that I labor over and the realization that there is a sizable audience interested in the answers. TON contributor David Dobbs did a Q&A with me about my story about a young man with autism seeking independence: in the months since that story ranI have spoken about it at perhaps a dozen science journalism classes—and ALL of the students have read the Q&A. I’ve discussed it with colleagues after editors at The Times posted the link on our internal Web siteand I often point readers who email with questions about the story to TON, where they have already been answered.” ~ Amy HarmonPulitzer Prize–winning national correspondent for The New York Times
“The Open Notebook has become a science journalism textbook.” ~ Carl Zimmerauthorjournalist for The New York TimesScientific AmericanNational Geographic, Discoverand others
“The Open Notebook is an incredibly generous projecta gift to the science writer community. The TON interviewers pick some of the most innovative and engaging recent science features and ask writers just the right questions. Everyone involved—the TON creatorsthe interviewersthe writers who reveal their methods—is helping teach the rest of us a master class in science writing.” ~ Laura Helmuthscience journalist and past president of the National Association of Science Writers
“The Open Notebook provides a valuable resource for science writers. The sample pitch lettersessays on craft and writer interviews offer readers a peek behind the scenes.” ~ Christie Aschwandenauthor of Good to Go and contributor to The New York TimesSlateMen’s Journalthe Oprah MagazineRunner’s Worldand the blog Last Word on Nothing
“The Open Notebook has been a trusted guide to me throughout my career: I consulted it for advice when I was a science student thinking about transitioning to journalismI pored over the pitch database for help writing my first magazine pitchesand now I delight in reading the craft features and Storygrams as one of my main sources of professional development. I have also written a few stories for The Open Notebookand the process is always a pleasure. Other writers are delighted to be interviewed and contribute what they can to a beloved institution; the editorial process is thoroughefficientand friendly; and Open Notebook writers are compensated well. I can’t praise The Open Notebook highly enough—I don’t know what I would do without it!” ~ Mallory Pickettfreelance journalist
“I have been a science journalist for nearly 15 years and I have relied on The Open Notebook every single one of those years. First as a graduate studentporing over the entries in the pitch database for inspiration on how to craft my own pitches. As an early-career journalistI read Storygrams and the Day in the Life series as I sought ideas for how to structure my own day in my first “real job” as a journalist and as I fumbled my way through story edits.
A big turning point was when I worked with Siri and others from the National Association’s Science Writers’ Diversity Committee to launch the ‘Diverse Voices’ serieswhich helped establish TON as the authoritative resource on diversityequityinclusion and accessibility in science journalism. Beyond those storiesI turn to the DEIA resources at TON—from the source tracking guide to the science writers database—often in my own work as an editor to improve not only inclusion initiatives in my newsroom but also the quality of journalism we produce. My relationship with TON has now come full circlewhere as a Board MemberI am proud to be in a position to help shape how TON continues to influence many other journalistsjust like it did with me.” ~ Shraddha ChakradhareditorScience magazine
“As I’ve transitioned from academia into writing full-timeThe Open Notebook has been the resource I turn to—time and again—to teach myself all I’d never learned about storytellingpitchingstructuring. Storygrams regularly make a student out of me—I read every annotationlearning what I can from the choices writers and editors maketrying to reverse engineer how the writer got from raw data to narrative. I’m deeply appreciative.” ~ Rebecca Altmanwriter and environmental sociologist
“The Open Notebook is an invaluable resource for serious science journalists. In addition to offering tips on everything you need to know about producing first-rate science journalismfrom conducting interviews with recalcitrant subjects to shaping pitches into marketable stories and paring down that 24,000-word opus to a more manageable sizeThe Open Notebook serves as a virtual newsroomproviding a sense of community and camaraderie at a time when so many of us are either working remotely or freelancing.” ~ Linda Marsacontributing editor for Discover and author of Fevered: Why a Hotter Planet Will Harm Our Health
“I never went to journalism school so I can’t say for surebut The Open Notebook strikes me as an ongoing journalism seminar as valuable as any you might find there. The best way to learn about journalistic storytelling—besides writing stories—is by taking great narratives apart. The Open Notebook goes a step furthertaking us back to the pitch letterthe assignmentand everything it took to get a big piece landed. The focus may be on sciencebut the lessons found here can be applied to any story.” ~ Evan Ratlifffounder and editor of The Atavist and contributor to Wired, The New Yorker, National Geographicand other magazines
“From the moment I set eyes on The Open NotebookI regretted that I was no longer teaching science writing. I harbored this regret because I would have used it in a blink … the web site contains invaluable lessons on understanding and interpreting sciencedelivered by highly talented professionals.” ~ Holly Stockingretired science writing professor at Indiana University in Bloomington and authorwith the writers of The New York Timesof The New York Times Reader: Science & Technology
“The value of The Open Notebook goes way beyond the practical tips and advice that I find there. To meit is an endless source of inspirationencouraging me to perfect my writing and to find better ways to do my job. I particularly enjoy the profiles as a way to learn how the best in the business practice their craft. I’m a better science writer because of The Open Notebook.” ~ Jeff Grabmeierdirector of research news at Ohio State University
“The Open Notebook illuminates science writing—and by that I mean excellent science writing—like no other resource available today. Here you’ll find some of the best writers in the profession explaining everything from the technique to the research methods that help create a great story. In factTON’s exploration of outstanding writing is so incisive that I use it in all my writing classes. It helps professor as well as student understand the craft.” ~ Deborah BlumPulitzer Prize–winning authorjournalistand director of Knight Science Journalism at MIT
“Nothing beats the experience of finally reporting and writing the big story. But reading The Open Notebook is a close second. Peeking behind—way behind—the curtain at big-time outlets like The New York Times Magazine and Discover, The Open Notebook is a beacon and a reality check for freelance writers of all kinds—especially science journalists. For hustling freelancersnothing replaces the valuable intelligence of learning how a publication operates and what types of stories they need…Seeing pitch letters and drafts of award–winning long-form science writing? I’ve never seen that before—The Open Notebook is a unique resource.” ~ Brian VastagWashington Post science reporter
“I consider myself lucky that The Open Notebook launched right as I started to pursue a career in science writing. Its pitch databaseStorygramsinterviews and in-depth articles on the craft of science writing proved invaluable as I tried to break into the fieldand I continue to rely on these resources for help and encouragement. Whenever anyone asks me for advice on science writingI recommend they first check out The Open Notebook.” ~ Sandeep Ravindranfreelance science journalist and 2024-26 president of the National Association of Science Writers
“Most websites on media focus on ephemera: Who’s inwho’s outmergerslayoffsand corporate gossip. The Open Notebook is a rareshining exception. Aiming to serve as a kind of ars journalistica for working science writersthe site lays bare the elements of craft that determine a story’s lasting impact. By interviewing those who have distinguished themselves in the fields of science reportingfeature writingbloggingand multimediaThe Open Notebook transcends hackneyed print vs. digital dichotomies to deliver tipsadviceand food for thought that can be directly put into practice in today’s hyper-competitive freelance environment. The site also offers something that’s harder to define but just as essential: a sense of collective ethics and joy in our hard work. I love The Open Notebook.” ~ Steve Silbermanjournalist and author of Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity
“I’ve been a science journalist for more than 20 yearsand I can unequivocally say that The Open Notebook is an invaluable resource for reporters and writers in our profession. Nowhere else can science journalists get the inside story on how to do our jobs better in this changing journalistic landscape.” ~ Alexandra Witzecorrespondent for Nature, contributing editor for Science Newsand author of Island on Fire: The Extraordinary Story of Lakithe Volcano that Turned 18th-Century Europe Dark
“I often tell my students to think about what they’d like to be doing five years from nowfind people who are doing that thingand figure out how they got there. The Open Notebook is a great archive of all of those talestold assignment by assignment … I recommend the site to science writers at every stage of their careers.” ~ Ivan Oranskyco-founder of Retraction Watch and instructor of medical journalism at New York University’s ScienceHealthand Environmental Reporting Program
“The Open Notebook takes the mysticism out of great writingshowing how others have solved their seemingly intractable problems and gives me escape strategies to try the next time I encounter a wall blocking my writing.” ~ Tina Saey, Science News medical science reporter
“It’s so educational to peer into the heads and processes of other science writers. We may have informal discussions about some of these topics online or in person at meetingsbut that’s not nearly as informative as probing into the working habitsfrustrationsand trouble-shooting setbacks for specific writers and their pieces.” ~ Kendall Powellfreelance science writer and contributor to the Los Angeles TimesHHMI BulletinNature, and others