SciLine
Free expert-matching service from AAAS. Connects journalists with scientists on deadline for science and health reporting.
What should journalists know about SciLine?
SciLine is one of the most underused resources in journalism. Run by AAAS (the American Association for the Advancement of Science, publisher of Science magazine) and based at their Washington, DC headquarters, it provides free expert matching, media briefings, on-camera interviews, and reporting guides — all funded by philanthropy with no fees for journalists or scientists. Submit a request through their 'I Need an Expert' portal and they'll connect you with a vetted scientist, often within hours. Their media briefings feature panels of researchers on timely topics. The 'Experts on Camera' program provides broadcast-quality one-on-one interviews. SciLine also publishes fact sheets and reporting resources on complex science topics. The editorial independence claim is credible — they're housed at AAAS but explicitly state editorial separation from both their funders and host institution. The limitation: this is science and health only. You won't find political scientists, economists, or legal scholars here. And SciLine reserves the right to deny service to outlets that don't meet 'widely accepted journalistic practices' — a reasonable filter but worth noting. For science journalism, SciLine is the gold standard free sourcing service. Pair with Expertise Finder for broader academic sourcing.
Finding scientist sources for deadline stories on health, climate, technology, and policy. Getting broadcast-quality expert interviews. Accessing media briefings on emerging science topics. Building a science source network beyond your existing contacts.
Non-science sourcing — SciLine covers STEM and health only. Finding sources outside academia (industry, government, advocacy). Investigative reporting where you need independent verification of a scientist's claims or conflicts. Breaking news where you need an expert in minutes, not hours.
Security & Privacy
Data is scrambled while being sent to their servers
Data is scrambled when stored on their servers
Where servers are located — affects which governments can request your data
Privacy policy summary
SciLine operates under AAAS privacy policies. Journalist requests include contact information shared with matched scientists for the purpose of facilitating interviews. Scientist profiles are voluntarily provided. Standard web analytics on site visits. No advertising or data monetization — funded entirely by philanthropy.
How to protect yourself:
Your contact information is shared with scientists you're matched with — use a professional email, not a personal one. Independently verify any expert's credentials, funding sources, and potential conflicts of interest before publishing quotes. SciLine vets for scientific expertise, not for conflicts of interest with industry funders. For sensitive health stories, check whether a matched expert has pharmaceutical or industry consulting relationships via disclosure databases (Open Payments, Dollars for Docs).
Nonprofit service with no commercial data incentives. Minimal data collection — journalist requests and scientist profiles for matching purposes only. US jurisdiction under AAAS governance. No advertising or tracking beyond standard analytics. The main consideration is that your story topic and source needs are shared with AAAS staff and matched scientists, which is inherent to the service. Low-risk for standard science reporting. Adequate security posture for a free public interest service.
Who Owns This
Pricing
Free. All services — expert matching, media briefings, crash courses, reporting resources — are fully funded by philanthropies. No fees for journalists or scientists.
This is an editorial assessment based on publicly available information as of 2026-04-11, using our published methodology. Independent security review is pending. Security posture can change at any time. This is not a guarantee of safety.
Something wrong or outdated? Report it.