When we started The Open Notebook in 2010our goal was to provide journalists who cover science with tools and resources to help them sharpen their skills and build community.
Over the years …
- We’ve looked at how to find story ideas and how to figure out whether they’re viable—and how to pitch them.
- We’ve covered how to read a scientific paperhow to report on disabilityhow to conduct interviews in treacherous field conditionsand how to talk to sources who would rather shut the door in your face.
- We’ve covered how to write ledes and kickershow to build elegant transitionsand how to write sentences that sing.
- We’ve covered how to respond to a rejected pitchhow to negotiate for better freelance rateshow to ask for feedback from editorsand how to handle the emotional toll that reporting can take.
- We’ve interviewed more than 175 journalists to learn the stories behind the stories we admire.
- We’ve annotated outstanding stories to break down what makes them so good.
All toldwe’ve published more than 600 articles. They add up to more than 1.5 million words!
But that’s not all.
We’ve also created free online coursestip sheetsinteractive toolsmentoring programstraining workshopsa database of successful pitch lettersa global database of science writersand more.
We’re proud to be able to offer so many resources to help science journalists improve their skills—andwe know it’s a lot to take in! If you’re wondering where to even begin on your TON journeywe have some suggestions for starting points. Wherever you beginwe feel confident that where you will end up is the same place we have: With gratitude for the thousands of journalists who in one way or another have shared their insights and experiences with usso that others can learn.
If You’re Just Getting Started
- Join our Science Writers Database! It’s a global gathering place for journalistseditorswritersand other communicators who cover science.
- Dig into the Getting Started in Science Journalism collectionwhich showcases a subset of TON articles that are especially relevant to people who are new to science writingor are just thinking about getting into the field and wondering what it’s all about. Learn about how to break into the fieldhow to find and pitch storieshow to report and write welland how to become part of the science journalism community.
- Pour a cup of coffee and crack open our On the Origin of Science Writers collectionin which dozens of science writers share their science writing “origin stories”—and a tidbit of advice for newcomers.
- Peek into the working lives of science writers by browsing our A Day in the Life collection of mini-profiles.
If You Want Help Quickly
- Read our Science Reporting Quick Tipswhich offer guidance on key science reporting concepts for anyone covering sciencewhether science is their regular beat or whether they’re a general-assignment reporter who has just been assigned to cover a science story for the first time.
- Explore the Science Reporting Navigatoran interactive toolkit designed to help journalists on any beat confidently incorporate scientific evidenceperspectivesor context into their reporting—no science background required!
- If you’re a local journalist looking for support in finding expertsinterviewing scientistsreading scientific papersor other aspects of reporting on scientific evidencejoin our Covering Science at the Local Level Slack group—it’s a community of practice especially focused on local journalists
If You Want to Dive Deeper into Questions of Craft
- Our story-behind-the story interview series and our Storygram seriesin which we annotate exceptional stories and interview the authors to learn about how they did itcould keep you busy for weeks. For example, read Michelle Nijhuis’s interview with The New Yorker’s Kathryn Schulz about her blockbuster 2015 story “The Really Big One,” which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing. Or study our annotation of Ed Yong’s chilling 2019 Atlantic story “North Atlantic Right Whales Are Dying in Horrific Ways”—then read Nadia Drake’s interview with Yong to learn how he reported and wrote the story. We offer a glimpse behind the scenes for dozens and dozens of stories.
- We’ve published hundreds of reported articles on many aspects of the craft of science journalismfrom reporting on retracted papers to finding and using quotes in science stories to expanding the geographical borders of your source list. Dive in anywhereand see where your curiosity takes you. Ortreat our trove of articles as your textbook: Start at the top and work your way through! (Want some TON goodness in an actual book? Check out the secondexpanded edition of our bookThe Craft of Science Writingpublished by the University of Chicago Press in November 2024.)
- Check out the TON Pitch Databasea collection of more than 300 successful news and feature queries to a wide range of publications. This unique tool gives science journalists the opportunity to study the first—and often the most difficult—step in producing outstanding science stories. If you’ve successfully sold a pitch to a media outletplease submit it to the database!
If You’re Looking for More Learning Opportunities at TON
- Want to dive deeper into a topic such as finding story anglespitching storiesor spotting hype and misinformation? Consider taking one of our free Science Journalism Master Classes. These online courses are delivered by email and are available to anyoneanywhere in the world. More than 10,000 people have taken at least one of our courses.
- Learn about our mentoring programs and communities of practice, and if you’re eligibleconsider applying for one of them.
- Find out about our trainingsworkshopsand consultation opportunities.
If You Want to Focus on DiversityEquityand Inclusion
- Check out our resource page on finding diverse sources for science storiesguide to tracking source diversityand sample script and survey to use in tracking the diversity of your sources.
- Use this guide to using alt-text to make images more accessible.
- Draw on this curated collection of diversity guides for journalists.
- Dig into our Diverse Voices in Science Journalism article series. In this seriesa collaboration with the National Association of Science Writers Diversity Committeewe aim to examine the experiencesexpertiseand perspectives of science journalists from communities that are underrepresented in science journalism. We’ve examined topics such as covering Indigenous communities, navigating newsrooms as a minority, writing about one’s own disability or chronic illnessreporting on health disparitiesand much more. Find still more articles that focus on diversityequityand inclusion elsewhere on our site—for examplewe’ve covered topics such as reporting on disabilityreconsidering who is an expertreporting on “unsung” histories of scienceand freelancing on a student visa in the U.S.
- Find our full collection of diversityequityand inclusion resources here.
¡Si Quieres Leer TON en Español
- TON en Español is our collection of more than 100 popular TON articles translated into Spanish. Si prefieres leer nuestros artículos en españoldirígete a esta colección.
There’s a lot more to explore. We hope you enjoy your stay!