“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 world, including me.” ~ Abdullahi Tsanni, freelance science journalist
“Even as a local reporter who previously hasn’t covered science, I 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 science, I’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 Scott, freelance 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 Notebook, I’ve gotten the support that I’ve been wanting my whole career. I’m a steadier, more 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 me, and I think armed me, in a way that I’m going to keep seeing the benefits of, because 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 Selemon, science 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 honest, ethical, open-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 pitches, process and even their rates of pay to the benefit of all.” ~ Maryn McKenna, journalist for The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, NPR, and other publications, and 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 journalism, nine will drop out after a few days or weeks, and one will keep moving forward until reaching a tipping point. At that point, this one would quit if no one was there guiding, supporting, mentoring, and inspiring. This is how I see TON’s impact, by building an inclusive community of science journalists, where we can feel a sense of belonging and be empowered, mentored, and guided by experts. This feeling motivates us to keep moving forward no matter what challenges we face or how hard things can be.” ~ Saad Lotfey, journalist and creator of the Science Journalism Forum
“Since I started my career as a science journalist, The Open Notebook has been not only an invaluable source of information to hone my craft, but a space to inspire me, connect with other science journalists, and even help me become more aware of sensitive issues that I didn’t even know could be a problem in my reporting, like 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 world, and helping journalists access opportunities that seemed inaccessible while becoming better reporters and humans in the process.” ~ Myriam Vidal Valero, freelance journalist
“TON is just a really incredible resource for science journalists, and particularly freelancers. It’s just great having a sense that you’re part of a global community as well, and seeing what other science journalists around the world and doing and achieving. It’s an amazing resource. Absolutely amazing.” ~ Bianca Nogrady, science journalist and author
When I first set foot on the United States in 2018 to seek an engineering degree, I had some idea of what science writing should look like, but it wasn’t quite clear how I could be part of it. Sure, I loved talking about science and society, but I haven’t found my audience, and I certainly didn’t know how to write. My department never offered courses on non-technical communication either, so 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” Storygram, and 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 mentors, colleagues, and friends. This years-long process convinced me that I, too, have a career in science writing. After graduating from college, I joined the MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing, and guess what? The first day of class, our assigned readings were more TON resources.
At this time, I began appreciating what I could offer to the TON community: my multilingual reporting chops, my lessons learned from setting the scene using contemporaneous social media posts, my knowledge from building a worker-run science news outlet, as 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 me, it 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 Slack, sharing tips and links that could make the process smoother for newcomers.
For me, what really stands out about TON is its unwavering belief that everyone can be a better science writer, and a firm moral stance that “everyone” truly means everybody. In these turbulent times when it seems America couldn’t be further from evidence-based discourse, The Open Notebook is a city upon a hill, showing the world what science could achieve if we came together as a community: bringing clarity, wonder, and nuance to a world that sorely needs it. ~ Alex Ip, science 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 rates, how your favorite journalist put a story together, how to negotiate higher pay, how to blog, what makes a good essay? TON,TON,TON,TON, and 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 lonely, and more empowered.” ~ Joanne Silberner, freelance 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 tips, lessons, and insights from some of the best in the business—for free! Anytime new writers ask me for advice, I point them to TON.” ~ Liza Gross, journalist 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 and, through frank, in-depth conversations with the authors themselves, helping all science journalists improve their craft.” ~ Michelle Nijhuis, project editor at The Atlantic, contributor to National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, and The New Yorker‘s Elements blog
“The Open Notebook offers not only a wealth of resources, it provides community to science writers at every stage of their career. TON embodies generosity. By reading the site’s expert and timely articles, we can become better storytellers together.” ~ Tiên Nguyễn, journalist and filmmaker
“Writing is a lonely art. The vast majority of the process, from coming up with ideas to structuring a piece, is carried out in solitude. When you start out, you barely have a clue about what you’re doing, let 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 Yong, Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist and author
“When I discovered The Open Notebook as a newbie engineer-turned-science-writer from India, struggling to understand the nuances of science writing, I was blown over by the wealth of resources that were free! Reading each of those carefully curated articles, written by writers from all over the world, has helped me become a better science journalist. If there is a way to democratize science writing, TON has shown us how to do it, and I hope it will continue to guide many like me.” ~ Spoorthy Raman, freelance science journalist
“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, Co-host of the Gastropod podcast, author of Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves, and frequent contributor to The New Yorker
“I owe my whole career to The Open Notebook. Having TON take a shot on me was monumental, in 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 Ortega, reporter, Science magazine
“Proper praise for The Open Notebook would first observe how essential good science writing is to a functioning democracy, and 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 TON, it 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 ran, I 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 site, and I often point readers who email with questions about the story to TON, where they have already been answered.” ~ Amy Harmon, Pulitzer Prize–winning national correspondent for The New York Times
“The Open Notebook has become a science journalism textbook.” ~ Carl Zimmer, author, journalist for The New York Times, Scientific American, National Geographic, Discover, and others
“The Open Notebook is an incredibly generous project, a 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 creators, the interviewers, the writers who reveal their methods—is helping teach the rest of us a master class in science writing.” ~ Laura Helmuth, science journalist and past president of the National Association of Science Writers
“The Open Notebook provides a valuable resource for science writers. The sample pitch letters, essays on craft and writer interviews offer readers a peek behind the scenes.” ~ Christie Aschwanden, author of Good to Go and contributor to The New York Times, Slate, Men’s Journal, the Oprah Magazine, Runner’s World, and 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 journalism, I pored over the pitch database for help writing my first magazine pitches, and 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 Notebook, and 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 thorough, efficient, and 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 Pickett, freelance 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 student, poring over the entries in the pitch database for inspiration on how to craft my own pitches. As an early-career journalist, I 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’ series, which helped establish TON as the authoritative resource on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in science journalism. Beyond those stories, I 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 circle, where as a Board Member, I am proud to be in a position to help shape how TON continues to influence many other journalists, just like it did with me.” ~ Shraddha Chakradhar, editor, Science magazine
“As I’ve transitioned from academia into writing full-time, The Open Notebook has been the resource I turn to—time and again—to teach myself all I’d never learned about storytelling, pitching, structuring. Storygrams regularly make a student out of me—I read every annotation, learning what I can from the choices writers and editors make, trying to reverse engineer how the writer got from raw data to narrative. I’m deeply appreciative.” ~ Rebecca Altman, writer 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 journalism, from conducting interviews with recalcitrant subjects to shaping pitches into marketable stories and paring down that 24,000-word opus to a more manageable size, The Open Notebook serves as a virtual newsroom, providing a sense of community and camaraderie at a time when so many of us are either working remotely or freelancing.” ~ Linda Marsa, contributing 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 sure, but 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 further, taking us back to the pitch letter, the assignment, and everything it took to get a big piece landed. The focus may be on science, but the lessons found here can be applied to any story.” ~ Evan Ratliff, founder and editor of The Atavist and contributor to Wired, The New Yorker, National Geographic, and other magazines
“From the moment I set eyes on The Open Notebook, I 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 science, delivered by highly talented professionals.” ~ Holly Stocking, retired science writing professor at Indiana University in Bloomington and author, with the writers of The New York Times, of 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 me, it is an endless source of inspiration, encouraging 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 Grabmeier, director 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 fact, TON’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 Blum, Pulitzer Prize–winning author, journalist, and 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 freelancers, nothing 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 Vastag, Washington 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 database, Storygrams, interviews and in-depth articles on the craft of science writing proved invaluable as I tried to break into the field, and I continue to rely on these resources for help and encouragement. Whenever anyone asks me for advice on science writing, I recommend they first check out The Open Notebook.” ~ Sandeep Ravindran, freelance science journalist and 2024-26 president of the National Association of Science Writers
“Most websites on media focus on ephemera: Who’s in, who’s out, mergers, layoffs, and corporate gossip. The Open Notebook is a rare, shining exception. Aiming to serve as a kind of ars journalistica for working science writers, the 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 reporting, feature writing, blogging, and multimedia, The Open Notebook transcends hackneyed print vs. digital dichotomies to deliver tips, advice, and 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 Silberman, journalist and author of Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity
“I’ve been a science journalist for more than 20 years, and 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 Witze, correspondent for Nature, contributing editor for Science News, and author of Island on Fire: The Extraordinary Story of Laki, the 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 now, find people who are doing that thing, and figure out how they got there. The Open Notebook is a great archive of all of those tales, told assignment by assignment … I recommend the site to science writers at every stage of their careers.” ~ Ivan Oransky, co-founder of Retraction Watch and instructor of medical journalism at New York University’s Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program
“The Open Notebook takes the mysticism out of great writing, showing 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 meetings, but that’s not nearly as informative as probing into the working habits, frustrations, and trouble-shooting setbacks for specific writers and their pieces.” ~ Kendall Powell, freelance science writer and contributor to the Los Angeles Times, HHMI Bulletin, Nature, and others