A Field Guide For Science Writers

This guide offers practical tips on science writing - from investigative reporting to pitching ideas to magazine editors. Some of the best known science witers in the US share their hard earned knowledge on how they do their job.

This is the official text for the National Association of Science Writers. In the eight years since the publication of the first edition of A Field Guide for Science Writing, much about the world has changed. Some of the leading issues in today's political marketplace - embryonic stem cell research, global warming, health care reform, space exploration, genetic privacy, germ warfare - are informed by scientific ideas. Never has it been more crucial for the lay public to be scientifically literate. That's where science writers come in. And that's why it's time for an update to the Field Guide, already a staple of science writing graduate programs across the country. The academic community has recently recognized how important it is for writers to become more sophisticated, knowledgeable, and skeptical about what they write. More than 50 institutions now offer training in science writing. In addition mid-career fellowships for science writers are growing, giving journalists the chance to return to major universities for specialized training. We applaud these developments, and hope to be part of them with this new edition of the Field Guide. In A Field Guide for Science Writers, 2nd Edition, the editors have assembled contributions from a collections of experienced journalists who are every bit as stellar as the group that contributed to the first edition. In the end, what we have are essays written by the very best in the science writing profession. These wonderful writers have written not only about style, but about content, too. These leaders in the profession describe how they work their way through the information glut to find the gems worth writing about. We also have chapters that provide the tools every good science writer needs: how to use statistics, how to weigh the merits of conflicting studies in scientific literature, how to report about risk. And, ultimately, how to write.

Offers a roadmap to the area of science writing. In this edition, various chapters cover the techniques of good science writing, explanatory writing, writing under deadline, clone and stem-cell research, biology of behaviour and eugenics, mental health, human genetics, as well as making sense of conflicting studies.

The Indian media is witnessing an explosive situation with newspaper and magazine circulations increasing in great numbers and television news channels—in both English and regional languages—going up by the day. Internet news portals, too, are recording a good number of hits. Journalism, then, holds tremendous promise for both seasoned and budding journalists. However, behind every promise, there lurk dangers and temptations, which must be scrupulously avoided if the basic values of the profession are to be safeguarded. Otherwise, the relentless spotlight of criticism will turn on journalism and its practitioners. 21st Century Journalism in India is a path-breaking book that looks at the practices and theories of journalism in the 21st century. This collection of writings by practising journalists is perhaps unique in that they have turned the spotlight on their own profession. The volume is thematically divided into four sections: - REPRESENTING THE UNREPRESENTED deals with media representation (or lack of it) of largely ignored sections of society, such as homosexuals, Dalits and other minorities or weaker groups. - THE PLURALITY OF PRACTICE studies the coverage of vital areas such as economics, legal issues, science, arts and culture, and humour. - MEDIA IN PERSPECTIVE looks at different kinds of journalistic practices, including photojournalism - FUTURE TRENDS discusses newer forms of journalism, like blogging and citizen journalism.

Technoscientific developments often have far-reaching consequences, both negative and positive, for the public. Yet, because science has the authority to decide which judgments about scientific issues are sound, public concerns are often dismissed because they are not part of the technoscientific paradigm they question. This book addresses the role of science popularization in that paradox; it explains how science writing works and argues that it can do better at promoting public discussions about science-related issues. To support these arguments, it situates science popularization in its historical and cultural context; provides a conceptual framework for analyzing popular science texts; and examines the rhetorical effects of common strategies used in popular science writing. Twenty-six years after Dorothy Nelkin's groundbreaking book, Selling Science: How the Press Covers Science and Technology, popular science writing is still not meeting its potential as a public interest genre; Communicating Popular Science explores how it can move closer to doing so.

This authoritative handbook gathers together insights and tips, personal stories and lessons of some of America's best-known science writers, men and women who work for "The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Examiner, Time, ", National Public Radio, and other eminent news outlets. Filled with wonderful anecdotes and down-to-earth, practical information, it is both illuminating and a pleasure to read.

A field guide designed to get kids out and exploring the beach! This unique, simple nature kit gives kids an accessible, engaging introduction to the natural world and the amazing discoveries that can be made from strolling the shoreline. Since the guide focuses on the most common shells, insects, birds, and creatures, kids will feel instantly rewarded when they spot a seagull (or its tracks), dragonfly, or conch shell. The portable, fully illustrated, flexibound guide includes tips on how to hold a hermit crab, where to dig for mussels, how to make windchimes out of jingle shells, and more. A beautiful treasure box with magnetic closure holds the book and includes compartments for kids’ prized discoveries, such as coral, sea glass, and driftwood. Tucked into two of the compartments—and visible though the die-cut frame on the treasure box’s cover—are a mesh collecting bag for mess-free gathering and a magnifying jar for close-up observing.

Given that scientific material can be hard to comprehend, sustained attention and memory retention become major reader challenges. Scientific writers must not only present their science, but also work hard to generate and sustain the interest of readers. Attention-getters, sentence progression, expectation-setting, and OC memory offloadersOCO are essential devices to keep readers and reviewers engaged. The writer needs to have a clear understanding of the role played by each part of a paper, from its eye-catching title to its eye-opening conclusion. This book walks through the main parts of a paper; that is, those parts which create the critical first impression. The unique approach in this book is its focus on the reader rather than the writer. Senior scientists who supervise staff and postgraduates can use the book to review drafts and to help with the writing as well as the science. Young researchers can find solid guidelines that reduce the confusion all new writers face. Published scientists can finally move from what feels right to what is right, identifying mistakes they thought were acceptable, and fully appreciating their responsibility: to guide the reader along carefully laid-out reading tracks."

Observations Plus Recipes It has been said that science is the orderly collection of facts about the natural world. Scientists, however, are wary of using the word ‘fact. ’ ‘Fact’ has the feeling of absoluteness and universality, whereas scientific observations are neither ab- lute nor universal. For example, ‘children have 20 deciduous [baby] teeth’ is an observation about the real world, but scientists would not call it a fact. Some children have fewer deciduous teeth, and some have more. Even those children who have exactly 20 deciduous teeth use the full set during only a part of their childhood. When they are babies and t- dlers, children have less than 20 visible teeth, and as they grow older, children begin to loose their deciduous teeth, which are then replaced by permanent teeth. ‘Children have 20 deciduous [baby] teeth’ is not even a complete scientific sta- ment. For one thing, the statement ‘children have 20 deciduous teeth’ does not tell us what we mean by ‘teeth. ’ When we say “teeth,” do we mean only those that can seen be with the unaided eye, or do we also include the hidden, unerupted teeth? An observation such as ‘children have 20 deciduous teeth’ is not a fact, and, by itself, it is not acceptable as a scientific statement until its terms are explained: scientifically, ‘children have 20 deciduous teeth’ must be accompanied by definitions and qualifiers.

“A cozy and enjoyable read.” —Kirkus Reviews “The likable cast and relatable premise will resonate with readers grappling with the uncertainty of change.” —Booklist A girl with a passion for science and a boy who dreams of writing fantasy novels must figure out how to get along now that their parents are dating in this lively, endearing novel. Sutton is having robot problems. Her mini-bot is supposed to be able to get through a maze in under a minute, but she must have gotten something wrong in the coding. Which is frustrating for a science-minded girl like Sutton—almost as frustrating as the fact that her mother probably won’t be home in time for Sutton’s tenth birthday. Luis spends his days writing thrilling stories about brave kids, but there’s only so much inspiration you can find when you’re stuck inside all day. He’s allergic to bees, afraid of dogs, and has an overprotective mom to boot. So Luis can only dream of daring adventures in the wild. Sutton and Luis couldn’t be more different from each other. Except now that their parents are dating, these two have to find some common ground. Will they be able to navigate their way down a path they never planned on exploring?

This writing guide/reader/handbook demystifies writing by presenting the writing process as a series of critical thinking decisions about audience and purpose. Widely admired for its clear, readable style,The Writing Processfocuses on writing as decision-making, with a wealth of student samples in various draft stages and a strong collection of professional readings--essays, fiction, poetry, memoirs, and cartoons--to illustrate writing strategies. Helps readers understand the writing process. Writing process, research process. Anyone who wants to learn to write well.

The third edition of this book aims to equip both young and experienced researchers with all the tools and strategy they will need for their papers to not just be accepted, but stand out in the crowded field of academic publishing. It seeks to question and deconstruct the legacy of existing science writing, replacing or supporting historically existing practices with principle- and evidence-driven styles of effective writing. It encourages a reader-centric approach to writing, satisfying reader-scientists at large, but also the paper's most powerful readers, the reviewer and editor. Going beyond the baseline of well-structured scientific writing, this book leverages an understanding of human physiological limitations (memory, attention, time) to help the author craft a document that is optimized for readability. Through real and fictional examples, hands-on exercises, and entertaining stories, this book breaks down the critical parts of a typical scientific paper (Title, Abstract, Introduction, Visuals, Structure, and Conclusions). It shows at great depth how to achieve the essential qualities required in scientific writing, namely being clear, concise, convincing, fluid, interesting, and organized. To enable the writer to assess whether these parts are well written from a reader's perspective, the book also offers practical metrics in the form of six checklists, and even an original Java application to assist in the evaluation.

Discover Beautiful Nebulas, Constellations, Deep Sky Objects and More with Your Telescope David Dickinson, co-author of The Universe Today Ultimate Guide to Viewing the Cosmos, has created the ultimate field guide for backyard astronomers. Whether you want to impress viewers at a star party, or learn what you can see with your new telescope, David shows you how to find the most impressive views the night sky has to offer. Broken down by month and by hemisphere to ensure you get the best possible view, David shows you how to find objects like spiral galaxies, stunning sights in the Milky Way and stars that bring the “wow factor” to astronomy. With 44 sky charts and David’s expertise, it’s like having a pro-astronomer out in the field with you.

A field guide designed to get kids out and exploring the woods! This unique, simple nature kit gives kids an accessible, engaging introduction to the woods—and the animals, insects, flora, and rocks that a nature walk will most likely reveal. Since the guide focuses on the most popular North American wildlife, kids will feel instantly rewarded when they spot a chipmunk, sugar maple, or monarch butterfly. The portable, fully illustrated, flexibound guide includes tree-climbing tips, a chart for identifying animal droppings, a feature on edible forest finds, and more. It is packaged in a beautiful treasure box with magnetic closure, complete with compartments for kids’ prized discoveries, such as berries, acorns, and pebbles. Tucked into two of the compartments—and visible though the die-cut frame on the treasure box’s cover—are a mesh collecting bag for mess-free gathering and a magnifying jar for close-up observing.