The craft of science writing: selections from The Open Notebook

Introduction / Siri Carpenter

Part I. Who is a science journalist and how do you become one? How to use reporting skills from any beat for science journalism / Aneri Pattani

Trading the pipette for the pen : transitioning from science to science writing / Julia Rosen

Do you need a science degree to be a science reporter? / Aneri Pattani

How to break into English-language media as a non-native-English speaker / Humberto Basilio

Feeling like a fraud : the impostor phenomenon in science writing / Sandeep Ravindran

What is science journalism worth? / Kendall Powell

Nice niche : how to build and keep up with a beat / Knvul Sheikh

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? Is this a story? : how to evaluate your ideas before you pitch / Mallory Pickett

Sharpening ideas : from topic to story / Dan Ferber

Critically evaluating claims / Megha Satyanarayana

Finding the science in any story / Kate Morgan

Pitching errors : how not to pitch / Laura Helmuth

Five ways to sink a pitch / Siri Carpenter

What makes a good pitch? : annotations from the TON pitch database / Roxanne Khamsi

A conversation with Kathryn Schulz on "The really big one" / Michelle Nijhuis

Part 3. How do you report a science story? Is anyone out there? : sourcing news stories / Geoffrey Giller

Interviewing for career-spanning profiles / Alla Katsnelson

How to conduct difficult interviews / Mallory Pickett

Including diverse voices in science stories / Christina Selby

How to find patient stories on social media / Katherine J. Wu

Pulling it all together : organizing reporting notes / Sarah Zhang

Gut check : working with a sensitivity reader / Jane C. Hu

When science reporting takes an emotional toll / Wudan Yan

A conversation with Annie Waldman on "How hospitals are failing Black mothers" / Tasneem Raja

Part 4. How do you tell your story?. Good beginnings : how to write a lede your editor and your readers will love / Robin Meadows

Nailing the nut graf / Tina Casagrand Foss

How to find and use quotes in science stories / Abdullahi Tsanni

Like being there : how science writers use sensory detail / Jyoti Madhusoodanan

Eradicating ableist language yields more accurate and more humane journalism / Marion Renault

Good endings : how to write a kicker your editor and your readers will love / Robin Meadows

The first critic is you : editing your own work / Tiên Nguyễn

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? How to read a scientific paper / Alexandra Witze

What are the odds? : reporting on risk / Jane C. Hu

Spotting shady statistics / Rachel Zamzow

Problems with preprints : covering rough-draft manuscripts responsibly / Roxanne Khamsi

Getting the most out of scientific conferences / Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

Interrogating data : a science writers guide to data journalism / Betsy Ladyzhets

Explaining complexity / Carl Zimmer

How to do a close read / Siri Carpenter

A conversation with Maggie Koerth on "The complicated legacy of a panda who was really good at sex" / Ed Yong.