The Open Notebook
The Open Notebook is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free training, mentoring, fellowships, and editorial resources to science journalists worldwide, supported by donations, book sales, and foundation grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Open Notebook does
The Open Notebook (TON) is a Wisconsin-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 and headquartered in Madison, that equips science journalists with the skills, tools, and community support needed to produce evidence-based reporting. Its core products include free online Science Journalism Master Classes, structured mentoring and fellowship programs (the Early-Career Fellowship Program, the Sharon Dunwoody Science Journalism Mentoring Program, and the new Retraction Watch Research Accountability Reporting Fellowship launched with Retraction Watch in February 2026), the Global Science Writers Database and a Pitch Database of more than 300 successful story pitches, an interactive Science Reporting Navigator tool, and Spanish-language content under TON en Español. The organization has published more than 600 articles on the craft of science journalism, plus two books through the University of Chicago Press: 'The Craft of Science Writing' (second expanded edition, 2025) and 'The Best Science Stories and How They Work' (forthcoming July 2026).
The technology is a content-and-community web platform rather than a software product; proprietary features are domain-specialized editorial formats (Storygram, Editing Forensics) and the Science Reporting Navigator, with no app, API, or SDK offering. The go-to-market is community-led, reaching science journalists globally through direct website access, a Mailchimp newsletter, Facebook and LinkedIn, partner organizations, and book distribution via the University of Chicago Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Powell's, and Books A Million. Revenue comes from donations, book sales, and fellowship grants (notably from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Center for Scientific Integrity), with all core educational content provided free to end users. The organization is led by Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief Siri Carpenter, governed by a Board of Directors, and has a small staff of 1-10 employees.
The Open Notebook firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Open Notebook
- Legal name
- The Open Notebook, Inc.
- Website
- https://theopennotebook.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Open Notebook is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free training, mentoring, fellowships, and editorial resources to science journalists worldwide, supported by donations, book sales, and foundation grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Open Notebook industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Journalism Education and Training
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Libraries and Archives (51921)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- OER Authoring, Remixing & Publishing Tools/Platforms (EDAGAJAM)
Keywords
Where The Open Notebook is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Open Notebook business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: The organization is a nonprofit that relies on donations from the public and supporters
- Book Sales: Sells published books including The Craft of Science Writing (Second Edition) and The Best Science Stories and How They Work through University of Chicago Press and major retailers
- Fellowship Funding: Receives funding from organizations like The Center for Scientific Integrity and Burroughs Wellcome Fund to operate fellowship programs
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free resources - Articles, tip sheets, databases |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Open Notebook product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Open Notebook (TON) is a nonprofit educational platform that publishes free online resources, tip sheets, and articles on the craft of science journalism. It operates structured mentoring programs and fellowships for early-career science journalists, maintains free public databases (Science Writers Database and Pitch Database), and publishes books on science writing through the University of Chicago Press.
Product overview
The Open Notebook (TON) is a nonprofit educational platform offering science journalism training, resources, and community support. Its core offerings include free online master classes, structured mentoring and fellowship programs (such as the Early-Career Fellowship, Sharon Dunwoody Mentoring Program, and Retraction Watch Research Accountability Fellowship), and tools including the Science Writers Database and Pitch Database. TON also publishes two books—The Craft of Science Writing and The Best Science Stories and How They Work—through the University of Chicago Press. The organization does not offer a software product in the traditional sense; it operates as a content and educational platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Storygram: Article format featuring annotated science stories with commentary
- Science Reporting Navigator
- Editing Forensics
Products and services
- Science Journalism Master Classes Free online courses designed to sharpen skills in science journalism, delivered to subscribers upon sign-up.
- Early-Career Fellowship Program A mentoring program for early-career science journalists offering funding, mentorship, virtual training, and community engagement.
- Sharon Dunwoody Science Journalism Mentoring Program A structured mentoring program connecting early-career science journalists with experienced professionals in the field.
- Retraction Watch Research Accountability Reporting Fellowship A six-month fellowship run jointly with Retraction Watch, funded by the Center for Scientific Integrity, to train local journalists in scientific accountability reporting.
- Global Science Writers Database A free public database of journalists, writers, editors, and communicators covering science, health, environment, and technology, designed to help expand networks and find freelancers, collaborators, or editors.
- Pitch Database A database of more than 300 successful story pitches to a wide range of publications, accessible to writers for learning and reference.
- Science Reporting Navigator An interactive tool to help journalists confidently incorporate scientific evidence, perspectives, or context into their reporting across any beat.
- The Craft of Science Writing: Selections from The Open Notebook An authoritative guide book published by the University of Chicago Press, with a second expanded edition available, covering how to write about science effectively.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 600 articles published on science journalism
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Open Notebook
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Open Notebook technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Open Notebook partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Retraction WatchcoreJoint partnership with Retraction Watch to launch the Research Accountability Reporting Fellowship, a six-month program training local journalists in scientific accountability reporting. Includes funding, mentorship, virtual training, and community engagement.
- University of Chicago PresscorePrimary publishing partner for TON books including The Craft of Science Writing (Second Edition) and The Best Science Stories and How They Work
- SciLineminorCollaboration on tip sheets such as Bringing Scientific Evidence into Food & Ag Stories to help journalists incorporate scientific evidence into reporting
- Institute for Nonprofit News (INN)minorTON is an Affiliate Member of INN, a network of nonprofit news organizations
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Open Notebook competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- The Conversation: Editorial platform that pairs academic experts with journalists to produce explanatory journalism. Adjacent to TON's mission of improving evidence-based journalism, though operating a different content-distribution model.
Direct peers
- SciLine (AAAS): Program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science that connects journalists with scientific experts and provides training resources for evidence-based reporting. Closely comparable as a science-journalism-specific resource provider.
- National Association of Science Writers (NASW): Professional membership organization for science writers offering training, community, awards, and resources. Directly comparable as the leading membership body serving the same science journalism audience TON targets.
- Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT: Offers science journalism fellowships and programming at MIT. Directly comparable in providing structured training and fellowships for science journalists, though anchored at a university rather than a standalone nonprofit.
- Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW): Provides training programs and fellowships (including the Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship) for science journalists. Closely comparable mission of equipping science writers with skills and access to the profession.
- Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ): Membership organization providing training, resources, and community for journalists covering environmental topics. Comparable as a beat-specific journalism organization offering training, conferences, and journalist resources.
Broad incumbents
- Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting: Funds and trains journalists globally on underreported issues including science and health. Comparable as a journalism-education and grant-making organization, though broader in scope than TON's science-journalism specialization.
- Nieman Foundation for Journalism (Harvard): Provides journalism fellowships and training programs at Harvard. Comparable as a journalism education institution, though much larger and broader in topical coverage than TON.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Open Notebook social profiles
Digital presenceThe Open Notebook financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Open Notebook leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Open Notebook funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Open Notebook M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Open Notebook
What does The Open Notebook do?
The Open Notebook (TON) is a nonprofit educational platform that publishes free online resources, tip sheets, and articles on the craft of science journalism. It operates structured mentoring programs and fellowships for early-career science journalists, maintains free public databases (Science Writers Database and Pitch Database), and publishes books on science writing through the University of Chicago Press.
Is The Open Notebook a public or private company?
The Open Notebook is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Open Notebook founded?
The Open Notebook was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Open Notebook based?
The Open Notebook is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Open Notebook make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are book Sales and fellowship Funding.
Who are The Open Notebook's main competitors?
The Conversation is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are SciLine (AAAS), National Association of Science Writers (NASW), Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT, Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW) and Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ). Broad incumbents are Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and Nieman Foundation for Journalism (Harvard).
Does The Open Notebook have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Open Notebook.
What industry is The Open Notebook in?
The Open Notebook's product category is Journalism Education and Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAJAM, OER Authoring, Remixing & Publishing Tools/Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2741.