NASW BOOK PROJECT LINES UP AUTHORS FOR ITS 33 CHAPTERS

The NASW project to develop a book on science writing is nearing completion. The book, A Field Guide for Science Writers, is intended for students and young reporters. It should also be useful to experienced writers who are switching from other fields to writing about science, and to scientists who want to learn more about communicating science to the public. The book will be published next year (1996) by Oxford University Press in both hardback and paperback.

Deborah Blum and Mary Knudson, members of the NASW Executive Committee, are co-editors of the book, and a distinguished company of science writers has contributed both time and knowledge in writing chapters. This is the book's basic outline, including authors:

Introduction:

• Walter Sullivan, retired science editor, The New York Times.

Part One; Science Writing: The Media

• Chapter 1. Introduction to Science Journalism: David Perlman, science editor, San Francisco Chronicle.
• Chapter 2. Covering Science for Newspapers-Boyce Rensberger, editor, Horizon, The Learning Section, and science reporter, The Washington Post
• Chapter 3. Writing Science for Magazines-Janice Hopkins Tanne, free-lance medical journalist; president, American Society of Journalists and Authors.
• Chapter 4. Writing for Trade Journals-Julie Miller, editor, Science News, formerly editor, Bioscience. Writing for Science Journals-Richard Kerr, senior writer, Science Magazine.
• Chapter 5. Broadcast Science Journalism-Reporting News-David Ropeik, environmental reporter, WCBV-TV, Boston, MA. Magazine Style-Ira Flatow, TV/radio producer/writer, Samanna Productions, Inc. and National Public Radio.
• Chapter 6. Writing Books on Science Topics-John Noble Wilford, author/science news reporter, The New York Times.
• Chapter 7. Journalist and Scientist Co-Authors-Keay Davidson, author/science writer, The San Francisco Examiner.
• Chapter 8. Scientists Who Write About Science for the Public-Meredith Small, anthropologist, Cornell University; free-lance science writer.
• Chapter 9. When Your Office is in Your Home- Free-Lance Writing Issues-Jane Stevens, free-lance science journalist, Esparto, CA. Free-Lance Business Issues-Joel Shurkin, free-lance science journalist, Santa Cruz, CA.
• Chapter 10. Science Writing Outside the United States-Michael Kenward, free-lance science writer, Great Britain.

Part Two; Science Writing: Tools and Topics

• Chapter 11. Introduction: Mike Toner, science writer, The Atlanta Constitution.
• Chapter 12. Science Columns-Tom Siegfried, science editor, The Dallas Morning News.
• Chapter 13. Literary Science Journalism: Telling a Good Tale-Mary Knudson, free-lance science journalist, Silver Spring, MD.
• Chapter 14. Investigative Science Journalism-Deborah Blum, science writer, The Sacramento Bee.
• Chapter 15. Using Sources-Joel Greenberg, science/medical editor, Los Angeles Times.
• Chapter 16. Using Statistics-Victor Cohn, Reports on Health, Washington, DC; author, News & Numbers: A Guide to Reporting Scientific Claims and Controversies in Health and Other Fields.
• Chapter 17. Writing Articles from Science Journals-Patrick Young, free-lance science writer; formerly editor, Science News.
• Chapter 18. Critical Coverage of Public Health and Government-Abigail Trafford, health editor, The Washington Post.
• Chapter 19. Reporting on the Biology of Behavior-Ronald Kotulak, science writer, The Chicago Tribune.
• Chapter 20. Covering Infectious Diseases-Laurie Garrett, medical writer, Newsday.
• Chapter 21. Reporting on Neurosciences-Sandy Blakeslee, The New York Times; free-lance science journalist.
• Chapter 22. Toxics and Risk Reporting-Richard Harris, science correspondent, National Public Radio.
• Chapter 23. Environmental Writing-Jim Detjen, Knight Chair in Environmental Journalism, Michigan State University; president, International Federation of Environmental Journalists.
• Chapter 24. Covering Earth Sciences-Charlie Petit, science correspondent, San Francisco Chronicle.
• Chapter 25. Covering Physics-Kim McDonald, senior editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• Chapter 26. Technology Writing-Jon Van, technology writer, The Chicago Tribune.
• Chapter 27. Writing About Astronomy-Mike Lemonick, associate editor, sciences, Time Magazine.

Part Three: Science Writing: Beyond the Media

• Chapter 28. Introduction-Carol Rogers, instructor and faculty advisor, University of Maryland; formerly director of communications, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• Chapter 29. Colleges and Universities-David Salisbury, science writer, Stanford University.
• Chapter 30. Government Agencies-Rick Borchelt, special assistant to the director for communications, Office of Science and Technology Policy, The White House.
• Chapter 31. Non-Profit Organizations, Small Research Centers and Museums-Cathy Yarbrough, chief, public affairs, Yerkes Primate Research Center.
• Chapter 32. Business and Industry- Drug Industry and other Medical Business-Candace Gulko, executive vice president, NCM Publishers, New York, NY. Technology-Michael Ross, staff communications specialist, IBM Almaden Research Division, San Jose, CA.

Conclusion:

• Victor McElheny, MIT, director, Knight Science Journalism Fellowships.

Blum and Knudson surveyed a number of science journalism educators who expressed interest in using A Field Guide for Science Writers as a teaching tool.

Although the price has not yet been set, NASW plans to offer the book at a discount to NASW members.

Oxford, NASW and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation supplied funding to make the book possible.

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