Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

What Committee for Skeptical Inquiry does

The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, operating as a program under Center for Inquiry, Inc. (EIN: 22-2306795), that publishes the bimonthly Skeptical Inquirer magazine applying scientific skepticism to claims of the paranormal, pseudoscience, and the supernatural. Originally founded in 1976 as CSICOP (Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion), the organization was merged into the Center for Inquiry and renamed CSI in 2006, and is now in its 50th volume year of continuous publication (2026). The core product portfolio includes the Skeptical Inquirer print and digital magazine, the SI Magazine Archives (dating back to 1989), an SI Audio Edition, Online Exclusives, the Skeptical Inquirer Presents video and event series, and two email newsletters (Skeptical Briefs and The Skeptics UFO Newsletter).

CSI serves a horizontally segmented audience of science-interested general readers globally, addressing the problem of distinguishing credible scientific evidence from pseudoscience, misinformation, and extraordinary claims. Its underlying technology is an editorial content publication platform paired with a digital archive system for distributing research and articles; there are no proprietary AI, API, or software product components disclosed. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through recurring magazine subscriptions (print and digital), with no public pricing, advertising, or enterprise revenue disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging the website, email newsletters, organic social media on Facebook and X/Twitter, free online articles, and virtual/in-person presentations to acquire and retain individual subscribers, with the bulk of operating activity concentrated in its Amherst, NY mailing address under the broader Center for Inquiry network.

Name

Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

Legal name

Center for Inquiry, Inc.

Website

https://csicop.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that publishes the bimonthly Skeptical Inquirer magazine, applying scientific skepticism to paranormal and pseudoscientific claims for science-interested readers globally via print, digital, audio, and event formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Skepticism Publications

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)

Keywords

• Scientific skepticism publications
• Science literacy content
• Skeptical inquiry magazine
• Critical thinking education
• Pseudoscience debunking

Headquarters

HQ city

Amherst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions providing access to Skeptical Inquirer content including archives, exclusive articles, and audio editions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Publishes the Skeptical Inquirer magazine, a bimonthly publication applying scientific skepticism to claims of the paranormal, pseudoscience, and the supernatural. The portfolio extends to digital archives spanning back to 1989, an audio edition, web-only online exclusives, video presentation series, and specialized newsletters on skeptical topics.

Product overview

Committee for Skeptical Inquiry publishes the Skeptical Inquirer magazine as its core product—a bimonthly publication applying scientific skepticism to paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. The product portfolio includes the print and digital magazine, the SI Magazine Archives (digital access to historical issues), the Audio Edition (audio format of content), Online Exclusives (web-only articles), Skeptical Inquirer Presents (video presentations), and two newsletters: Skeptical Briefs and The Skeptics UFO Newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skeptical Inquirer Magazine A bimonthly magazine that publishes articles applying scientific skepticism to claims of the paranormal, pseudoscience, and the supernatural. Features investigative journalism, expert commentary, and critical analysis of fringe claims, distributed via print and digital subscriptions.
• SI Magazine Archives Digital archive of historical Skeptical Inquirer magazine issues dating back to 1989, providing access to decades of published articles on scientific skepticism.
• Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition Audio version of the magazine content, allowing subscribers to listen to articles rather than reading them.
• Online Exclusives Web-exclusive articles and content published only on the Skeptical Inquirer website, separate from the print magazine.
• Skeptical Inquirer Presents Video presentations and webinars featuring skepticism advocates discussing topics related to science, pseudoscience, and critical thinking.
• Skeptical Briefs Newsletter Email newsletter delivering skeptical perspectives and brief commentary on current claims and pseudoscience topics.
• The Skeptics UFO Newsletter Specialized newsletter focused specifically on UFO-related claims and investigations from a skeptical perspective.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Center for InquirycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that houses Skeptical Inquirer magazine. Center for Inquiry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 22-2306795) focused on promoting science, reason, and secular values. CSI operates under CFI's organizational umbrella.
• Richard Dawkins FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated nonprofit organization also under the Center for Inquiry network, focused on science education and promotion of evolutionary biology and rational thinking.
• Free Inquiry MagazineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister publication under the Center for Inquiry network, covering secular humanism, religion, and related philosophical topics.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Free Inquiry: A sister publication under the same Center for Inquiry network covering secular humanism and religion; comparable bimonthly magazine format, subscription model, and nonprofit publishing operation.
• The Skeptics Society: Adjacent skepticism organization running lectures, events, and Skeptic magazine; comparable mission of promoting scientific skepticism and critical thinking, with overlapping audience of science-engaged readers.
• Skeptic (magazine): The Skeptic, founded by Michael Shermer, is the closest direct peer — a magazine dedicated to scientific skepticism, critical thinking, and investigating extraordinary claims, serving essentially the same niche audience as Skeptical Inquirer.
• James Randi Educational Foundation: A 501(c)(3) dedicated to promoting critical thinking and skepticism, historically close to CSI's mission; comparable nonprofit structure, audience, and skeptical inquiry focus.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Inquiry: The parent nonprofit that houses CSI and Free Inquiry; comparable in mission and operating model, but broader in scope (secularism, humanism, policy advocacy) and significantly larger in organizational scale.
• Scientific American: A large, mainstream science magazine with overlapping science-literate readership; not a skepticism publication, but competes for the same discretionary subscription dollars from science-curious consumers.
• New Scientist: A global weekly science magazine and digital publication covering science news and critical analysis; broader than CSI but competes for the science-interested subscription segment.

Emerging players

• Quanta Magazine: A digitally native science journalism publication emphasizing rigorous, accessible science writing; comparable audience of science-literate readers and a similarly editorial-led growth approach.
• Philosophy Now: An independent philosophy magazine with a similar bimonthly cadence, subscriber-supported nonprofit-ish model, and intellectual-generalist readership that overlaps with CSI's critical-thinking audience.
• Skeptical Science: A digital-first climate-skepticism resource that applies the same evidentiary/skeptical framework as CSI but in a narrower climate-specific vertical; comparable methodology and partial audience overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SkeptInquirer
• Facebookfacebook.com/skepticalinquirer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csi-store

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Committee for Skeptical Inquiry