In this chapter, New York Public Radio health and science editor Nsikan Akpan discusses what every journalist needs to know about science and the people who practice it. Akpan offers a primer on how to read a science paper; explains why not all scientific papers are trustworthy; espouses the benefits of journal clubs as a way to steep oneself in the science fundamentals; explains why it’s important to understand not only what scientists do but also why they do it; and advises journalists to seek interviews with principal investigators and with junior scientists. This chapter will help readers come to understand science not merely as a method but as a mentality.
