The Message Box Workbook
Communicating Your Science Effectively
Problems?
Solutions?
So W
hat?Benefits?
Issue
beta version
Table of Contents
Section I: Why the Message Box? ……………………
Section II: What is the Message Box? ……………….
Section III: The Message Box- Section by Section …
Issue …………………………………………………
Problem …………………………………………….
So What ……………………………………………
Solution …………………………………………….
Benefit ………………………………………………
Section IV: Making Your Message Memorable ……
Section V: Using the Message Box …………………..
Section VI: Practice! ……………………………………..
Appendix: Blank Message Boxes
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Section I: Why the Message Box?Welcome!
The Message Box on Twitter!
Ifyou’rereadingthis,you’reprobablyinterestedinhowyoucanshareyoursciencewiththerestoftheworld.Tooo<en,scien=ficknowledgeislockedupinprofessionaljournalsbecausescien=ststradi=onallyhaven’tbeentrainedtocommunicateeffec=velybeyondtheirpeers.Communica=nginpeer-reviewedjournalsortechnicalreportsisanimportantpartofscience.But,ifyouwantyourworktoberelevanttonon-scien=ficaudiences—fromjournalists,topolicymakers,tomembersofyourcommunity,orothers—youneedtothinkdifferentlyabouthowyoucommunicate.Tohelpyoudis=llthecomplexityofyourresearchinawaythat’smeaningfulforyourpar=cularaudience,we’reexcitedtoshareourmostfundamentaltool,theMessageBox.
Thisdecep=velysimpletoolisincrediblyversa=le.Itcanhelpyouprepareforinterviewswithjournalistsoremployers,planapresenta=on,outlinepapersorlectures,preparegrantproposals,orexplainwhatyoudoandwhyitmaIerstofamilyandfriends.
Asapioneerintheprac=ceofsciencecommunica=on,COMPASShassuccessfullytrainedthousandsofscien=stsfromawiderangeofdisciplinesandins=tu=ons,inspiredjournaliststocreateandsustaincoverageofscience-relatedtopicspreviouslynotonthepublicradar,andfacilitatedconnec=onsbetweenscien=stsandpolicymakersthathaveenrichedpolicydialoguesinmeaningfulways.Workingwithus,scien=stshaveshapedthepublicdiscourseonkeyissuessuchasoceanacidifica=on,fisheries,watersecurityintheAmericanWest,wildfire,ecosystem-basedmanagement,andmore.AlthoughCOMPASSfocuseslargelyontheenvironmentalsciences,ourtoolsapplytocommunica=nganydiscipline.
Makingyourresearchaccessibleandmeaningfultonon-scien=ststakeseffort,butnooneisbeIerequippedtodoitthanyouare.Yourpassion,experience,andexper=seareuniquetoyou,andpolicymakers,managers,journalistsandsocietywanttohearfromyou.Wehopethatthisworkbookwillhelpyoubuildstrongcommunica=onskills,achievemeaningfulengagement,andar=culatemessagesthatwillresonatewithyouraudiences.
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1Cowan,N.2010.TheMagicalMysteryFour:HowisWorkingMemoryCapacityLimited,andWhy?
CurrDirPsycholSci.February1;19(1):51-57.2NaQonalAcademiesofSciences,Engineering,andMedicine.2016.CommunicaQngScienceEffecQvely:
AResearchAgenda.Washington,DC:TheNaQonalAcademiesPress.doi:10.17226/23674.
Section II: What is the Message Box?TheMessageBoxisatooltohelpyousi]throughthemountainofinformaQonyouholdinyourheadabout
yourworkandidenQfytheessenQalnuggetsforyourchosenaudience.Wehavedesignedittobeflexible,
sothatitcanapplytoawidevarietyofcommunicaQonpurposesandaudiences.Andwe’vebaseditonthe
bestscienQficunderstandingofhowtocommunicateeffecQvely.Beforeyoubeginworkingonyourown
MessageBox,it’shelpfultounderstandafewkeyprinciplesofsciencecommunicaQon.
First,youraudience—whetherajournalist,apolicymaker,aroomofcolleaguesataprofessionalmeeQng,or
aclassofsecond-graders—doesn’thavedeepknowledgeofyoursubjectmacer.Butthatdoesn’tmeanyou
shouldexplaineverythingyouknowinafirehoseofinformaQon.Infact,cogniQveresearchtellsusthatthe
humanbraincanonlyabsorbthreetofivepiecesofinformaQonataQme.1Rather,yourgoalasaneffecQve
communicatoristoidenQfytheinformaQonthatiscriQcaltoyouraudience–whatinformaQonreallymacers
tothem—andsharethat.EffecQvecommunicaQonislessaboutexpoundingonalltheexciQngdetailsthat
youmightwanttoconvey,andmoreaboutknowingyouraudienceandprovidingthemwithwhattheyneed
orwanttoknowfromyou.
Second,manyscienQstsbelievethatiftheysimplysharewhattheyknowwithnonscienQsts,they’llconvince
themtochangetheirviews,includingonissuessuchasclimatechange,vaccinaQon,orothertopics.But
researchinthefieldofsciencecommunicaQondemonstratesthatsimplysharingmorescienQficinformaQon
doesn’tchangeminds,aftudes,orbehaviors.Instead,peopleinterpretinformaQonthroughthelensof
theirownvaluesandculturalidenQQes,andwillrejectinformaQonthattheyfeelisthreateningtothose
values.2Inthisworkbook,we’lldiscusshowtoframeyourmessagesinwaysthatwillresonatewithyour
chosenaudience.
Third,effecQvesciencecommunicaQonrequiresrecognizingthedifferencesbetweenhowscienQsts
tradiQonallyhavebeentaughttocommunicate,andhowtherestoftheworldcommunicates.Infact,
scienQficpapersandpresentaQonsgenerallyfollowadifferentformatthanmostothertypesof
communicaQon.InascienQficpaper,youestablishcredibilityintheintroducQonandmethods,provide
detaileddatainresults,andthensharethesignificanceofyourworkinthediscussionandconclusions.But
therestoftheworldleadswiththeconclusions,becausethat’swhatpeoplewanttoknow.Whyisthis
relevanttothem?Sharingthatfirst,andcomingbacktoitagainlater,willhelpyouraudienceremember
yourbocomline.
Scientists
Background
Methods
Results
Others
Results
So What?
Background
The scientific method of presenting information, versus what non-scientists want to know. Adapted from Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter, by Nancy Baron (Island Press, 2010).
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SohowdoestheMessageBoxwork?TheMessageBoxconsistsoffivesecQonstohelpyousortanddisQllyourknowledgeinawaythatworksforyouraudience.
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
- Jack Kerouac, Novelist(from The Dharma Bums)
“One should use common words to say uncommon things.”- Arthur Schopenhauer, Philosopher
Issue
Problems?
Solutions?So
Wha
t?
Benefits?
Distichopora robusta sp. nov., the ¢rst shallow-water stylasterid(Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Stylasteridae) from the tropical
eastern Paci¢c
Alberto Lindner*, Stephen D. CairnsO$ and Hector M. GuzmanP
*Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA. E-mail: [email protected] of Zoology, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012,W-329, MRC-0163,Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA.
E-mail: [email protected]. PSmithsonianTropical Research Institute, Box 2072, Balboa, Panama.E-mail: [email protected]. $Corresponding author.
Distichopora robusta, the ¢rst shallow-water stylasterid coral from the tropical eastern Paci¢c, is describedfrom the west coast of Panama. The new species is distinguished from all species of Distichopora describedthus far by having robust branches and poorly de¢ned pore rows.
INTRODUCTION
Stylasterid corals comprise about 250 species, makingthem the second largest group of calci¢ed cnidarians,only the Scleractinia having more species (i.e. 1500;Cairns, 1999; Cairns et al., 1999). They are distributedworldwide in both deep and shallow-water marineenvironments, but most species occur in water depthsof 200^500m (Cairns, 1984, 1992). Among the tropicalshallow-water species, currently assigned to eitherStylaster or Distichopora, most form branching, fan-likecolonies 5 to 25 cm tall and are remarkable for theirbright colours, including violet, red, yellow andorange. These shallow-water species are abundantmostly in the Indo-West Paci¢c, with only twospecies!Stylaster blatteus (Boschma, 1961) and Stylasterrosaceus (Gree¡, 1886)!occurring in the easternAtlantic and a single species!Stylaster roseus (Pallas,1766)!found in the western Atlantic.
The ¢rst descriptions of shallow-water stylasterids werethose of the western Atlantic Stylaster roseus and the Indo-Paci¢c Distichopora violacea (Pallas, 1766). Subsequently,about a dozen additional shallow-water species ofDistichopora were described for the Indo-West Paci¢c. Thisnumber was greatly reduced by Boschma (1959), whorecognized only four valid shallow, Indo-Paci¢c species ofDistichopora (plus two doubtful species). The most wide-spread of these is D. violacea, ranging from the Red Sea,Seychelles, East Africa, through the Indian Ocean to thecentral Paci¢c. Thus far, only for the eastern Paci¢c havetropical shallow-water stylasterid corals not beendescribed.
Here, we describe Distichopora robusta sp. nov., the ¢rsttropical shallow-water stylasterid coral from the easternPaci¢c. Collected o¡ the coast of Panama, this newspecies has robust branches and lacks well-developed porerows, the latter feature traditionally considered as the mostimportant diagnostic characteristic of Distichopora (Cairns,1983).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Colonies of Distichopora robusta sp. nov. were collectedat depths of 5 to 25m on the south side of Isla Jicarita,Gulf of Chiriqui, western coast of Panama. Colonieswere preserved in 95% ethanol or kept dried, and werestudied using methodology as described by Cairns(1983). The abbreviations used are: MZUSP (Museu deZoologia da Universidade de Sa‹ o Paulo, Sa‹ o Paulo,Brazil); RMNH (Naturalis, Nationaal NatuurhistorischMuseum, Leiden, the Netherlands); USNM (NationalMuseum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution,Washington, DC, USA).
SYSTEMATICSClass HYDROZOA
Order FILIFERA
Superfamily HYDRACTINOIDEA
Family STYLASTERIDAE Gray, 1847Genus Distichopora Lamarck, 1816
Distichopora robusta sp. nov.(Figures 1 & 2)
Type materialHolotype: female colony, 14 cm wide, dried, and scan-
ning electron microscope (SEM) stubs 1066^1067 (southside of Isla Jicarita, Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama; waterdepth: *12m) [USNM 1020570]. Collected by HectorM. Guzman, 29 August 2002.
Paratypes: male colony, dried (south side of IslaJicarita,Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama; water depth: 5^25m) [RMNHCoel. 32150]. Collected by Carlos A. Guevara, 7 February2003. Female colony, dried (south side of Isla Jicarita, Gulfof Chiriqui, Panama; water depth: 5^25m) [MZUSP467]. Collected by Carlos A. Guevara, 7 February 2003.
Additional paratypes: 3 male and 3 female colonies,dried, SEM stubs 1068^1070, and 33 fragments in ethanol(south side of Isla Jicarita, Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama;
J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. (2004), 84, 943^947Printed in the United Kingdom
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (2004)
Title Abstract
Background Methods Results
Discussion Conclusion
Translating the research paper format into a Message Box to distill your science.
We’llwalkthrougheachsecQonoftheboxbelow,usingaMessageBoxdevelopedduringourtrainingandcoachingofbiologistKathyZeller.A]erdiscussingeachsecQonofKathy’sMessageBox,we’llthenshareexamplesofMessageBoxespreparedbyotherscienQstswe’veworkedwith.
Andfourth,alwaysavoidjargon.Jargonisprecise,buttothoseoutsideofyourdiscipline,itmightaswellbeaforeignlanguage.Jargongetsinthewayandexcludespeoplefromyourmeaning.Evenifyoutrytodefinekeytermsthroughoutyourdiscussion,you’llquicklyexceedthethreetofivepiecesofinformaQonyouraudiencecanreadilygraspataQme.Then,everyQmeyourepeattheterms,youraudiencewillbeseveralstepsbehindyou,tryingtotranslateunfamiliarwords,ratherthanfocusedonthemessageyouwanttoconvey.
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Althoughwe’llworkthrougheachsecQonpiece-by-piece,theMessageBoxisn’talinearprocess;youcanstartinanysecQonthatmakessensetoyou,andworkfromthere.Don’texpectyourfirstdra]tobeyourfinaldra];peopleo]enstartoutprovidingtoomuchdetailineachsecQon,andthenrefineanddisQllsecQonswitheachnewversion.ThrougheachiteraQon,youwillmakechoicesaboutwhat’smostimportant,andwhicleawayatthelanguageunQlitsuccinctlycapturesthekeymessagesthatyouwanttoconveyaboutyourwork.Bytheendoftheprocess,youshouldhavenomorethanafewlinesforeachsecQon.
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction”
- Ernst F. Schumacher, Economist
Butthereisonecri-calfirststep:youhavetoidenQfyyouraudience.Avoidusing‘thegeneralpublic’asyouraudience:thegeneralpubliciscomprisedofmanydifferentgroupsofpeople,withdifferentinterestsandmoQvaQonsandvalues.Whoareyoutryingtocommunicatewith,andwhy?AndwhymighttheyneedthatinformaQon?Isitjournalistswhocanraisepublicawarenessandsetpolicyagendas?IsitpolicymakerswhowouldbenefitfromyourexperQse?IsitconcernedciQzenswonderingaboutimpactsontheircommuniQes,orconsumerstryingtomakeinformedchoices?Whatdotheycareabout?
Inordertofindthe“Sowhat?”ofyourwork,youneedtofocusontheparQcularaudienceyouwanttocommunicatewith,andgearyourMessageBoxtowhatmacerstothem.
IssueProblems?
Solutions?
So W
hat?Benefits?
Go to page 11
Go to page 14
Go to page 16
Go to page 12
Go to page 10
Audience: Identify first!
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Section III: The Message Box—Section by SectionKathyZellerwasaPh.D.candidatefocusedonconserva:onbiologyattheUniversityofMassachuse?satAmherstwhenshefirstworkedonaMessageBoxwithCOMPASS.Bythen,shewasalreadyanexpertonlargecatspeciesandtheirhabitatneeds.HavinggrownupindenselypopulatedConnec:cut,shefirstbecamefascinatedwithconservingopenlandscapesasafieldtechnicianinAlaskaaLerfinishingcollege.Thatfascina:onpromptedhertopursueaMaster’sDegreeattheUniversityofMontana.Shespentthenextfewyearsmodelinghowjaguarsmovethroughlandscapes,andhowbesttoconnecttheirdifferenthabitatstooneanother.Assolitarytoppredators,jaguarsneedtocoveralotofgroundtofindmatesandsufficientprey,andtheytendtoavoidhumancontact.Kathyworkedwiththeconserva:ongroupsWildlifeConserva:onSocietyandPantheratohelpthemestablishhabitatcorridorsforjaguarsthroughoutCentralandSouthAmericaandprotectthespeciesthroughoutitsrange.
Butshewasalsotroubled.Herworkduringthis:meraisedalotofques:onsabouthowhabitatconnec:vitywasbeingmodeledbymostbiologists.Kathysensedthatthosemodelsweren’treallycapturingthewayanimalsmoveacrosslandscapes.SoshedecidedtopursueaPh.D.toexploreandiden:fymoreeffec:vewaystomodelcorridors.WhileshefoundherPh.D.researchrewarding,shediscoveredthatshemissedapplyingherworkdirectlytoreal-lifeconserva:onproblems.“Ifeltsomewhatisolatedintheivorytower,”shesaid.AndsosheappliedtotheSwitzerEnvironmentalFellowshipProgram,aleadershipandcommunica:ontrainingprogramfundedbytheRobert&PatriciaSwitzerFounda:on,toreconnectwiththeappliedbiologynetwork.AspartofthatFellowship,KathyworkedwithCOMPASSinWashington,D.C.tolearnhowtocommunicatehersciencemoreeffec:velywithpolicymakers.That’swhenshefirstdevelopedaMessageBox.
Toiden:fyameaningfulaudienceforherscience,Kathycontactedpeoplesheknewinconserva:ongroups.ShelearnedthatCongressmanDonBeyerofVirginiawasinterestedindevelopinglegisla:ontoaddresswildlifehabitatneeds,andarrangedamee:ngwithtwoofhisstaff.HerfirstMessageBoxreflectsherini:ala?empttodis:llthescienceofconserva:oncorridorsfortheCongressmanandhisstaffinawaythatwouldmo:vateac:onandguidethedevelopmentofeffec:velegisla:on.
FYI There are several blank Message Boxes at the end of this workbook for you to practice with as you work through the workbook. For an editable PDF version, visit us online at www.COMPASSscicomm.org.
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Asyoucansee,Kathy’sIni$alMessageBoxhasalotofdetail.ButworkingonherMessageBoxprompted
hertoiden:fykeyinforma:onfromthescien:ficliteraturethatsherealizedtheCongressmanwouldbe
interestedin,suchastheamountofhabitatlosteachyearandthecostsassociatedwithinac:on.Shegot
thestaff’sa?en:on,andthatfirstmee:ngledtoalotoffollow-upcommunica:onwiththe
Congressman’soffice.TheyaskedKathyforaddi:onalinforma:on,suchasasummaryofconserva:on
benefitsbasedoncurrentscien:ficunderstanding.Sheworkedtoframehermaterialinwaysthatwould
resonatewiththeCongressman’scons:tuentsbyincludinginforma:onrelevanttotheAppalachianTrail
thatrunsthroughVirginia’sBlueRidgeMountains.
IssueProblems?
Solutions?
So W
hat?
Benefits?
StaffersinRep.Beyer’sofficeAudience:
- Theoldparadigmofwildlifeconserva:on-whereprotectedareasareestablishedandwildlifeisconsidered‘conserved’-failstoadequately
protectmanyspecies-wehavethetoolstofixthisissue
- Underthespecterofcon:nuedlandcoverchanges,themaintenanceofbiodiversityandecologicalprocesseswilldependon
rigorouslydefinedprotectedarea/corridornetworksatregionalandcon:nentalscales
- Thisisespeciallytrueunderachangingclimate.IthasbeenshownthatwildlifeareshiLing
theirrangesatarate3xpreviouslythought(11milesfurtherN.everydecade=equivalentto
theworld’sanimalsslowlyshiLing20cmnortheveryhourtoescapewarmerweather)- Bynotaccoun:ngforconnec:vity
betweenprotectedareas,many
speciesofwildlifewillbecome
endangered-addingtoanalready
overburdenedESA/USFWSand
makingtheESAevenmore
conten:ousthanitalreadyis
- Forexample,mydisserta:onworkisfocusedon
mountainlionsinsouthernCalifornia.Thisisoneofthe
mostpopulatedareasinthecountrywithaprojected
humanpopula:onof40millionpeopleby2050.
Mountainlionsherearegelnghammeredbyroads
andhumandevelopment.Infact,mypopula:onisone
ofthemostisolatedintheUSandisshowingtroubling
signsofinbreeding.Wearescramblingtoiden:fyand
restoreconnec:onstothispopula:on,when,ifsome
forethoughtandplanningwasdoneasdevelopment
wasincreasing,thissitua:oncouldhavebeenavoided.
Thisisoneexampleofonepopula:onandonespecies,
justmul:plythisacrossthecountryand#ofspecies
andyoucanstarttoseewhataproblemthiscan
become.Andhowavisionarycorridorsplanatthe
na:onallevelwouldbekey.Healthypopula:onsless
likelytogetintoconflictwithpeople
- Anotherexamplethatmayhitclosertohome-our
kitchensandhumanhealthisofpollinatorspecies.By
notprovidingconnec:vityforthesespeciesitcan
hinderthemaintenanceofwildplantdiversity,narrow
ecosystemstability,andreducecropproduc:on.
Pollinatorscontributemorethan24billion$$tothe
USeconomy.Ithasbeenshownthatprovidingjustone
stripofpollinatorvegeta:oncanpromotetheir
movementbetweencropsandfosterpollina:on.
- Asingle,na:onalplaoormtoassessnaturalareas,wildlife
connec:vity,andecosystemhealthacrossthena:on
- Iden:fyingcorridorsinana:onalcontextandhavinglegisla:onin
placethatwillhelpto:
1. iden:fycorridorsinana:onalcontextregardlessofpoli:cal
boundariesorjurisdic:ons
2. designatelandsasa“corridor”
3. projectandmanagelandsascorridors
- Areviewof25yearsofpeer-reviewedar:clesrevealedthatthemost
frequentrecommenda:onforprotec:ngbiodiversityisimproved
connec:vitytoensurespeciescanmoveandadaptinresponseto
climate-inducedchanges.
- Currently,landisbeinglostatarateof2
millionacres/year-largerthanRI+DE-
helpusstemthe:deoframpant,
thoughtlessdevelopmentandmake
developmentandspeciesconserva:ongo
handinhand
- Beingmoreeffec:veatwildlifeconserva:on
preservesournaturalheritageandwillonly
increasethe$145billioninrevenuethat
comesfromhun:ng,fishing,andwildlife
viewing.
- Preventcostlyprocessoflis:ngspeciesand
designa:ngcri:calhabitat.Reduces
poten:alconflictbetweenlandownersand
gov’t,betweenwildlifeandlandowners.
Increasesgovernmentalefficiency.
- Bringsgov’tinto21stcenturyofwildlife
conserva:onbybeingproac:ve,providing
corridors,andhelpingspeciesinthefaceof
climatechange
Importanceofwildlife
corridors
Biologist Kathy Zeller’s Initial Message Box
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SeveralmonthsaLerKathy’smee:ngwithhisstaff,CongressmanBeyerintroducedtheWildlifeCorridorsConserva:onAct.ThebillincorporatedseveralkeycomponentsthatKathyhadoutlined,includingestablishingana:onaldatabaseonprotectedareasandhabitatcorridors,anddirec:nggovernmentagenciestoworktogethertoestablishcorridors.Bythen,Kathyhadbecomeapost-doctoralresearcheratSanDiegoStateUniversityFounda:on.ShedrewonherMessageBoxtocraLale?eraddressedtomembersofCongressthatwassignedbyadozenprominentconserva:onbiologists,reitera:nghermainpointsandurgingsupportforthelegisla:on.AndsheworkedwithCOMPASStorefineherMessageBoxfurther.HerRefinedMessageBox(below)dis:llsthesciencefurtherandframesitinwaysthatcanengageawiderangeofcongressionalinterests,notjustCongressmanBeyer’s.
Biologist Kathy Zeller’s Refined Message Box
Inthediscussionbelow,we’llwalkthrougheachsec:onoftheMessageBoxusingKathy’sIni$alandRefinedMessageBoxesasanexample,highligh:nghoweachsec:onhelpssortcomplexinforma:onandhoweachitera:onoftheMessageBoxhelpsdis:llthemessagefurther,increasingitseffec:veness.WorkingonyourMessageBoxneverreallyends—it’sanongoingprocessthat,over:me,revealstheessenceofwhatyouwanttoconveyinawaythatconnectswithyourintendedaudience.
MembersofCongress&theirstaffAudience:
IssueProblems?
Solutions?
So W
hat?Benefits?
- ManyspeciesofwildlifeintheUSaredeclining- TheUSlosesabout2millionacresofnaturallandperyear-largerthanthestatesofRhodeIslandandDelawarecombined.Thislossfragmentswildlifehabitatandinhibitswildlifemovement.
- Wildlifedonotobservepoli:calboundaries,yetfederal,state,tribal,andlocalagenciesdon’tcoordinatelandusedecisions.
- Wildlifeproviderecrea:onal,aesthe:c,spiritual,andeconomicvaluetoAmericansandsupporthealthyecosystems.Eachyear,wildlifeviewing,hun:ng,andfishingpumpover$145billionintotheUSeconomy.
- Wildlifesurvivaldependsonday-to-daymovements,seasonalmigra:on,ortheshiLofaspecies’geographicrangeinresponsetoclimatechange.
Thisincludesspeciessuchaselk,pronghorn,mountain
lions,salmon,andmore.
- CongressshouldpasstheWildlifeCorridorsConserva:onActtocreateana:onalgeographicinforma:onsystemwithmapstoiden:fyandpriori:zenaturalcorridorsforwildlifeandtorequireallrelevantfederal,tribal,state,andlocalgovernmentagenciestocoordinateonlandusedecisions.
- 25yearsofscien:ficresearchindicatesthatconnec:onsbetweennaturalareasiscrucialforwildlifemovementandlongtermsurvival.
Conservingwildlifecorridors
- Conservewildlifeandthemul:plevaluestheyprovidebyallowingmovement.
- Preventspeciesfrombecomingendangeredtoavoidcostlyrecoveryeffortsinthefuture.
- Reducewildlife-vehiclecollisions- Increaserevenuefromwildlifeviewing,hun:ng,andfishing.
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The IssueTheIssuesec*oninthecenteroftheboxiden*fiesanddescribestheoverarchingissueortopicthatyou’readdressinginbroadterms.It’sthebig-picturecontextofyourwork.Thisshouldbeveryconcise
andclear;nomorethanashortphrase.YoumightfindyourevisittheIssueaEeryou’vefilledoutyourMessageBox,toseeifyourthinkingontheoverarchingtopichaschangedsinceyoustarted.
FAQ for The Issue? Howbroad/narrowistoobroad/narrow?TheIssueneedstobebroadenoughtoencompassthekeypointsyouwanttoget
across,butspecificenoughthatitsetsupwhat’stocome.Myresearchisonlyonesmallpartofthistopic.Isthatokay?
Yes.PuJngyourworkintothebroadercontexthelpsyoutotakeastepbackand
ar*culatetheotherpartsoftheMessageBoxandwhytheyshouldmaKertoyour
audience.ItcanalsohelpguideyouasyouworkthroughtheMessageBox.OEen,one
pieceoftheMessageBoxwillfeelveryclear,theothers,maybenotsomuch.Sotaking
abroaderviewandthinkingaboutthena*onalorinterna*onalcontextcanbehelpful.
Whydoeswordchoicema=er?TheIssuecancueor‘frame’therestofyourMessageBox,sowhileitseemsvery
simple,it’ss*llimportantforsignalingthescale,severity,orsignificanceofyour
message.
InKathy’sexample,usingtheword“conserving”inherRefinedMessageBoxinplaceof
“theimportanceof”inherIni(alMessageBoxprovidesaliKlemorespecificityabout
whatshewantstosay.Thatis,she’sgoingtodiscusshowtoconservethesecorridors
forwildlife,notjustwhytheyareimportant.
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The ProblemTheProblemisthechunkofthebroaderissuethatyou’readdressinginyourareaofexper9se.It’syourpieceofthepie,reflec9ngyourworkandexpertknowledge.Thinkaboutyourresearchques9onsandwhataspectofthespecificproblemyou’readdressingwouldmaCertoyouraudience.TheProblemisalsowhereyousetuptheSoWhatanddescribethesitua9onyouseeandwanttoaddress.
InKathy’sexample,sheincludedafairbitoffactualdetailinherIni$alMessageBox,butmuchofitfocusedonthesolu9onshewasproposing,beforeshehadclearlyspelledouttheproblem.InherRefinedMessageBox,shespelledoutthebasicproblemfirst—thatwildlifearedeclining—andthenlistedtwokeypointsaboutwhythatwashappeningthatrelatetoherIssueofwildlifecorridors.
FAQ for the Problem? What’sthedifferencebetweentheProblemandtheIssue?TheIssueboxprovidesthebroadercontextandsetsthestage,whiletheProblemboxismorefocusedandspecifictoyourworkorresearchques9on.TheIssueboxishelpfulforprovidingcontextandindica9nghowtheProblemyou’veiden9fiedfitsintothebiggerpicture.
Whatifthere’smorethanoneProblem?TheremightwellbemorethanoneProblemthatyou’reseeing—theworldiscomplexandnuanced.Andsomeproblemshaveseveralkeycomponents.Considerwhetheryouneedtotalkabouttwoproblemswiththisaudience.Ifoneoftheseproblemsismoreurgentorimportantthantheother,usethatasyourmainproblem,andspendless9meon,orleaveout,thesecondproblem.Wegenerallyrecommendfocusingonjustoneproblemperaudience,butitalldependsonthecontext.Ifthisisasitua9onwhereyoufeelyoucanincludemoreinforma9on,giveitatry.Butbejudiciousandmindfulofwhatwillberelevantandusefultotheaudienceyou’retarge9ng.
HowcanIfindtheProblem?Formanyscien9sts,theProblemistheirresearchques9on.Aproblemmightalsorevealitselfthroughatroublingtrendinthedata,orasitua9onthatwillhaveanega9veeffectonpeopleortheenvironment.
Reminder! There are more examples of the MB in use at the end of this workbook!
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The So WhatThecruxoftheMessageBox,andthecri8calques8ontheCOMPASSteamseekstohelpscien8stsanswer,is“Sowhat?”
Whyshouldyouraudiencecare?Whataboutyourresearchorworkisimportantforthemtoknow?Whyareyoutalkingtothemaboutit?Theanswertothisques8onmaychangefromaudiencetoaudience,andyou’llwanttobeabletoadjustbasedontheirinterestsandneeds.WeliketousetheanalogyofpuMngamessagethroughaprismthatclarifiestheimportancetodifferentaudiences.Eachaudiencewillbeinterestedindifferentfacetsofyourwork,andyouwantyourmessagetoreflecttheirinterestsandaccommodatetheirneeds.Theprismbelowincludesaspectrumofaudiencesyoumightwanttoreach,andsomeoftheques8onstheymighthaveaboutyourwork.
Does this support my agenda? Do my constituents care?
What will it cost - time, effort, money? Who supports this?
How does this fit our agenda?
Is it groundbreaking? It is robust? How does it affect my work?
Is it news? Will it sell? Is it a good story?
Does this fit within our portfolio?
Policy
makers
Manager
s
NGOs
Scientists
MediaFoundationsConc. Citizens
How does this effect safety/health, livelihoods and natural resources?
So What?MESSAGE
The “So What?” Prism. Adapted from Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter, by Nancy Baron (Island Press, 2010).
Wheneveryoucan,understandyouraudienceasdeeplyaspossible.Thiscanbechallenging,andtherearesocialscien8stswhodevotetheircareerstothistopic.Butaskingyourselfafewkeyques8onscanhelp.Forexample:Whatoutletsdoesthejournalistwriteforandwhatangledoesshetypicallytake?Isthepolicymakeranelectedofficialwhoanswerstocons8tuents,oranagencyofficialwhomustrespondtospecificlegisla8vemandates?Whatisthefocusormissionofthisorganiza8onoragency?Whatculturalissuesdoyouneedtoconsiderwhenaddressingcommuni8esandconcernedci8zens?Everyaudienceinterpretsinforma8onthroughtheirownlens.Understandingthatlenswillhelpyouframeyourmessageaseffec8velyaspossible,sothatyouraudiencetotakeshomethemessageyouwanttoconvey.
�13
Remember,communica8onisatwo-waystreet.
It’snotaboutperfec8ngamonologue.Effec8ve
communica8onrequireslisteningtoyouraudience,
understandingtheirconcernsandhavinga
conversa8on.Aconversa8oncanhelpyoudiscern
theSoWhatthatma\ersmosttothemandframe
yourmessageinawaythatwillresonatewith
them.Insomecases,thoseconversa8onscan
shapetheresearchques8onsyouchoosetoask
downtheroad.
FAQ for So What? CanIincludemorethanonereasontocareinmySoWhat?Yes.Justbesuretokeepeachexamplesuccinct,andremembertos8cktothreetofive
ideastotal.HowcanIbesuremyaudiencewillcareaboutmywork?
Dosomeresearchonyouraudiencetogaininsightonwhataspectsofyourworkwillbe
relevanttothem.Butit’shelpfultorememberthatmostaudienceswillnotbeas
interestedinthescien8ficortheore8calaspectsofyourwork,andcertainlynotthe
detailsandnuances.Theytypicallyaremoreinterestedintheprac8caloremo8onal
aspects.Considerhowyourworkcanaffecttheirlives—ifnotnow,theninthefuture—
andhowyoumightappealtotheirheartsaswellastheirminds.Sharingyourown
passionforyourwork,andwhyyoucare,canoaenhelpyoureachothers.
IsitokayifmySoWhatrelatestobasicresearch?Ifyouraudienceisotherscien8sts,andaddingtothescien8ficfounda8onsofyourfield
istheprimaryrelevanceofyourwork,thencertainly.Ifyouraudienceisnon-scien8sts,
thenconsiderwhataspectsofyourworkmightresonatewiththem.Thoseaspects
mightincludesomeoftheprac8calapplica8onsofyourworkthatcouldemergeinthe
future.OritmightaddresshowincreasingourunderstandingofXcouldleadtobe\er
understandingofY—assumingthatYissomethingthatresonateswithyouraudience.
Alterna8vely,youmightemphasizetheawe-factorofyourwork,what’snewaboutit,or
howitchangesourunderstandingoftheworld.Doyouhaveadiscoverytosharethat
wouldbeamazingandinherentlyinteres8ngtoanaudienceofnon-scien8sts?Be
carefulhere.Dependingonthesubjectarea,manyscien8ficdiscoveriesontheirown
aren’tinherentlyexci8ngtonon-scien8sts.
Reminder! There are more examples of the MB in use at the end of this workbook!
“It takes a great man to be a good listener.”
- Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States
InKathy’sIni$alSoWhatsheincludesalotofdetail,suchassta8s8csonhumanpopula8ongrowthin
oneregionofthecountry,inbreedinginmountainlions,theissueoflanduseplanning,avarietyof
impactsonpollinators,andsomeacronymsthatheraudiencemightnotunderstand.Theessenceofwhy
heraudienceshouldcarecangetlostinthedetails.InherRefinedSoWhat,Kathymakestwomain
points:thatwildlifeareimportantandthattheirsurvivaldependsontheirabilitytomoveacross
landscapes.Indiscussingwhywildlifeareimportant,sheframeshermessageinawaythatincludesa
diverserangeofvaluesthatmembersofCongressandtheircons8tuentsmightcareabout,including
economic,recrea8onal,aesthe8candspiritual.
“It takes two to speak the truth—one to speak and another to hear.”
- Henry David Thoreau, Naturalist and Writer
�14
The SolutionTheSolu%onsec*onoutlinestheop*onsforsolvingtheproblemyouiden*fied.Whenpresen*ngpossiblesolu*ons,considerwhethertheyaresomethingyouraudiencecaninfluenceoractupon.Andremindyourselfofyourcommunica*ongoals:Whyareyoucommunica*ngwiththisaudience?Whatdoyouwanttoaccomplish?
InKathy’sIni$alMessageBox,shelistsseveralcomponentsneededinna*onallegisla*ontocreatewildlifecorridors,andreferstothelargebodyofscien*ficliteratureindica*ngthatcorridorsarenecessaryforwildlifesurvival.Kathy’sRefinedMessageBoxreflectsnotonlyherworkonrefininghermessage,butalsoeventsthatoccurredaKerherini*almee*ngwithCongressmanBeyer’sstaffonCapitolHill;namely,theintroduc*onoflegisla*on.InherRefinedbox,Kathy’saudienceisamoregeneralcongressionalaudience—typicallyverybusypeopledealingwithdozensofissuessimultaneously,withlimited*metograspcomplexconcepts.Shemen*onsthesciencesuppor*ngtheneedforthebill,andthensimplyurgesheraudiencetosupporttheintroducedbillwithabriefdescrip*onofwhatitwoulddo.
FAQ for The Solution? HowmanyideasshouldIhaveintheSolu%onsec%on?Theremaybeseveralideasyouwanttoinclude—justmakesurethattheyareallrelevanttothepar*cularaudienceandthespecificproblem(s)youareaddressing,andarestatedsuccinctly.Butremember,theMessageBoxisintendedtohelpyoupriori*zewhatismostimportanttoconvey,sothinkhardaboutthat.AlsoconsiderwhetheryourProblemstatementistoobroadandcouldbemorespecific.Insomecases,revisi*ngtheProblemstatementcanhelpnarrowdownthefocusofthetopicandwhatneedstobedonetoaddressit.
HowdoIhandletheissueofadvoca%ngforpolicychanges?Whetheryouwanttoadvocateforapar*cularsolu*onorcourseofac*onisapersonalchoice.Insomefields,advoca*ngforapar*cularposi*oniscommonprac*ce.Inothers,itraisesfearsaboutunderminingscien*ficobjec*vityandcredibility.Whethertoadvocateforapolicysolu*ondependsontheaudience,yourprofessionalrole,andthecontextinwhichyou’represen*ngyourinforma*on.Haveyoubeenaskedbydecision-makerstoshareyourprofessionaljudgment?Arespecificpolicysolu*onscri*caltosolvingtheproblem?Howimportantistheprobleminyouropinion?
Kathychosetoadvocateforna*onallegisla*onbecausesheconsideredthatsolu*onnecessarytosolvetheproblem.Butmanyproblemscanbeaddressedinwaysthatdon’tinvolvechangesinpublicpolicy.WordchoicecanmaWerhereaswell:Withoutsayingthatonepar*cularac*on"should"betaken,youcanevaluateop*onsanduseif/thenstatementstodescribethelikelyconsequencesofagivenac*on,forexample,"Ifthisac*onistaken,thenthisoutcomemightbeexpected.”Thishelpsexpandtherangeofpossiblesolu*onsfordecision-makerstoconsider.
�15
FAQ for The Solution? WhatiftheonlySolu%onthatIcanthinkofissimplymoreresearch?Thesolu*oninsomecasesmightsimplybetoobtainagreaterunderstandingofX,Y,orZ.Butinmanycases,havingthisasyouronlySolu%onisanindica*onthattheProblemstatementortheSoWhatneedsfurtherdis*lla*on.Considerwhethereither(orboth)ofthesesec*onsaretooin-the-weedsofyourscien*ficdiscipline,andaren’tframedastopicsthatmaWerinpeople’slives.Trytoreworkthemtomakesurethattheyarerelevanttoyouraudience.
WhatifmySolu%ondoesn’treallyimpacttheProblem?IfyourSolu%onsdon’trelatetotheProblemyouiden*fied,theneitheradjusttheProblemoradjusttheSolu%onsothattheydorelate.Someques*onstoconsiderincludewhetheryourProblemandSolu%onpointsareopera*ngatthesamescale(i.e.,iftheproblemisthatwildlifearen'tabletomovevastdistancesacrossthecountryduetobarriers,butyoursolu*onistohavetownhallmee*ngsinonlyonestate,youwouldneedtoadjustthescaleofyoursuggestedsolu*on).Anotherques*ontoconsidermightbewhetheryourSolu%onisspecificenough,orifitisstatedtoovaguelytoactuallysolvetheProblem.
�16
The BenefitIntheBenefitsec,on,youlistthebenefitsofaddressingtheProblem—allthegoodthingsthatcouldhappenifyourSolu.onsec,onisimplemented.This,esintotheSoWhatofwhyyouraudiencecares,butfocusesontheposi,veresultsoftakingac,on(theSoWhatmaybeanega,vething—forexample,inac,oncouldleadtoconsequencesthatyouraudiencecaresabout).Ifpossible,itcanbehelpfultobespecifichere—concreteexamplesaremorecompellingthanabstract.Whoislikelytobenefit,andwhere,andwhen?
Kathy’sIni$alBenefitsec,onlistsmul,plebenefitsofcrea,ngcorridorsacrossthecountryforwildlife.Butshealsoincludessomeinforma,onthatoutlinestheproblem(thatis,thelossofnaturalareasacrossthecountry).InherRefinedMessageBoxshemovedthatimportantinforma,onabouthabitatlosstotheProblemsec,ontohelpestablishherSoWhat.HerRefinedBenefitsec,onprovideslessdetail.ShecanalwaysaddthatdetailbackinduringdiscussionswithmembersofCongressandtheirstaffifshediscoversshehas,me.ButherMessageBoxhelpsherdis,llherkeypointsdowntotheiressence,sosheknowswhatmainpointsshewantstohit.
FAQ for The Benefit? MySoWhatissimilartotheBenefits.Isthataproblem?Nothat’snotaproblem.TheMessageBoxisasor,ngtooltohelpyoudecidewhatismostimportant.Youmayendupwithonlythreekeymessages,orevenless.It’snotaboutfillingtheboxes,it’saboutdecidingwhatisthemostimportantthingtosay,outofallthethingsyoucouldsay.IftheSoWhatandBenefitaresimilar,that’sfine.Butmakethemrelevanttoyourtargetaudience.
WhatiftheonlyBenefitIcanthinkofappliestofutureresearchers?That’sfine,ifyouraudienceisscien,stswhoareinterestedinlong-termbenefitsforresearch.Foranaudienceofnon-scien,sts,though,trytothinkabouthowyourresearchcouldconnectbacktotheSoWhat.Ifthiswasbasicresearchthattoldyousomethingnewabouttheworld,considertheapplica,onsdowntheroadthatthisaudiencemightcareabout,orwhythesediscoveriesmightconnectwiththememo,onally.
HowdoIavoidover-promisingtheBenefit?OUen,societalandenvironmentalbenefitsaccruethroughacombina,onofefforts,approaches,andsolu,ons.Yourworkmightonlybeonepartofthatlargersolu,on.It’sokaytoiden,fythelarger-scalebenefitsyourworkwillcontributeto.Justmakeitclearthatthesolu,onsyou’veiden,fiedareonlyonepieceofthepuzzle.YoumightalsorevisityourProblemstatementandmakesurethatit’sappropriatelyscaledfortheSolu.oniden,fied.Ifnecessary,youcanincludequalifierssuchas“could,”thoughbeprudentwithyourcaveatsandonlyusethemwhenyoureallyhaveto.
�17
General Message Box FAQ
HowlongdopeopletypicallyspendcraDingtheirMessageBoxes?
Itvaries.CraUinganeffec,veMessageBoxisanitera,veprocess.Youmightstartbypu[ngdownonpaperthethreetofivepiecesofinforma,onthatyouthinkaremostimportantineachsec,on,andthenreviselateraUertalkingwithrepresenta,vesofyourintendedaudience.Oryoumightstartbygatheringinforma,onaboutpoten,alaudiencesandcarefullycraUingyourwordstoaddresstheirinterestsandvalues.Eachperson’sexperienceisuniqueandmightchangedependingonhowcontroversialtheissueis,theaudiencetheywanttoaddress,andwhattheyhopetoaccomplishbycommunica,ngtheirscience.
? HowdoIknowwhenmyMessageBoxisdone?AMessageBoxdoesn’treallyevergetfinished;itjustkeepsevolvingtosuityourneeds.TheMessageBoxprinciplesareeasy,butittakes,metodevelopmessagesthatwillworkforyouandyouraudiences.Ul,mately,youwanttoparedownyourideassothateachsec,onisafewclearsentences.Ifyous,llhaveaparagraph,keepworkingtorefineyourmessages,andtheywillevolveandgetbeaerover,me.Remember,the“Sowhat?”canvarydependingonwhateachaudiencecaresabout.Thiscaninfluencetheproblemsyouiden,fy,thesolu,onsyouhighlightandthebenefitsyouemphasize.Onceyoufeelyouhavedis,lledyourmessagedowntoitsessence,workontakingyourmessagetothenextstepbymakingitmemorable.
Crafting a Message Box is often an iterative process. Tessa ultimately completed four iterations of her box for this interview.
HowmanyMessageBoxesdoIneedtodo?Oneforeachaudience!Differentaudienceshavedifferentinterests,needs,andvalues.You’llwanttoreflectthatinyourmessages.
�18
Section IV: Making Your Message MemorableThinkoftheMessageBoxasaframework.Itallowsyoutofocusonwhat’smostimportantandwhatwill
resonatewithyouraudience.Butonceyou’vegotaclearmessage,you’llwanttoaddfleshtothose
bones.HowdoyoutaketheessenEalideasandmakethemmemorableandcompellingtoyour
audience?Consideranecdotes,examples,metaphors,sound-bites,andfactsthatwouldresonatewith
youraudienceandcansupplementandreinforceyourmessages.Thisiswheresomeofthedetailand
datayoutookoutofyourMessageBoxcancomebackintoplay.ButthecommunicaEonguidelineswe
discussedabovedon’tdisappearonceyourMessageBoxisreadytouse.Asyouprepareforyourpaper,
presentaEon,meeEng,orinterview,herearesomepointstokeepinmindtocommunicateeffecEvely:
Supportyourmessagewithdata,butlimitthenumberofideas.Remember,thehumanbraincan
onlytakeinaboutthreetofivepiecesofinformaEonataEme.
Limittheuseofnumbersandsta6s6cs,butdoincludethemifthey’reillustraEve.Kathy'sRefinedMessageBoxincludestwoimportantnumbers:that2millionacresofnaturallandarelostper
year,andthatrecreaEonalacEviEesinnaturallandsputs$145billionbackintotheeconomyeach
year.Thosewereimportantnumbersforheraudiences.
Usespecificexamples,andmakethemmemorableandquick
toexplain,withjudicioususeofmetaphorsorothertoolsto
helppeopleputthemintocontext.
Comparenumbersorconceptswithsomethingmostpeoplecanrelateto,includingmetaphorsoranalogieswhenpossible.
Kathyhelpedpeoplegraspthescaleofthose2millionacresof
naturallandlosteachyearbypoinEngoutthatthatisanarea
largerthanthestatesofRhodeIslandandDelawarecombined.
Don’tusejargon.AWercompleEngyourMessageBox,re-readittodoublecheckthatyou’renot
relyingonwordsthatarefamiliartoscienEstsinyourdiscipline,butthatwouldn’tmakesenseto
familymembers.
Leadwithwhatyouknow,notwithwhatyoudon’tknow.Uncertaintyexists,andyouneedtobehonestaboutthelimitsofyourresearchandscienEficunderstanding,butdon’tburythemessage
incaveats.
Remember:effecEvecommunicaEonrequireslisteningandtrulyengagingwithyouraudienceina
two-wayconversaEon.Listentowhatyouraudiencecaresabout.WhatquesEonsdidtheyask?
Whichofyourpointsreallyseemedtotriggeraresponse?Incorporatethatfeedbackintofuture
MessageBoxesandmaterials.
Craft a headline or Tweet
AWercreaEngandrefiningyourMessageBox,considerwhatbo[omlinemessageitconveysby
craWingaheadlineorTweetthatcapturesyourmainpointinjustafewwords.Ifyoucan’t
conveyyourmessagethatsuccinctly,youmaywanttodisEllitfurther.
InKathy’scase,themainpointis“supporttheWildlifeCorridorsConservaEonAct.”Although
Congresshaschangedhandssincethebillwasintroduced,supportershopethatthebill,now
draWed,canbereintroducedatsomepointinthefuture.
"In the Midwest, it's 7 oF warmer in the winter than it was in 1974. That's the difference between wearing and not wearing long underwear."
- Tracey Holloway, Professor,University of Wisconsin
�19
Section V: Using the Message Box
COMPASSmosto/enworkswithenvironmentalscien;stsinterestedinbecomingmoreengagedinthepublicdiscourse.Butwehavehelpedscien;stsinavarietyofdisciplines,communica;ngwithmanyaudiencesandworkingtowarddifferenttypesofgoals,todis;llandframetheirmessageswiththeMessageBox.
Theexamplesonthefollowingpagesprovideaglimpseofthatdiversityofthoughtandapproach.NotehoweachMessageBoxiden;fiesitsaudienceupfront,andprovidesaframeworkforsor;nganddis;llingcomplexissuesdowntotheiressence,answeringsomeoftheques;onsoutlinedabove.
- Whatareyouseeinginyourresearchthatmakesyouwanttocommunicate?
- Howdoesitaffectpeopleandtheenvironment?
- Ifyouwerelookingforinforma;ononline,whatwouldbethe2-3wordsearchtermyou’duse?
- Whatsignaldoesyourwordchoicesend(i.e.‘climatechange’v.s.‘globalwarming’)?
- Whatchangescanbemadetothewaythingscurrentlystand?
- Whocanmakethosechanges?- WhatwouldittaketosolvetheProblemsiden;fied?
- Whatdoesyouraudiencevalue?
- Howdoesitimpactthem,orsomethingtheycareaboutit?
- Whatisimportantaboutwhatyou’resharing(scale,effects)?
- Whodoesthishelp,andhow?
- Whatimprovesintheshortterm?
- Whatimprovesinthelongterm?
Issue
Solutions?
So W
hat?Benefits?
Audience:
Problems?
Thegraphicbelowhighlightssomeofques;onsthatmayhelpprimeyourthinkingasyoubegintodra/yourownMessageBoxesandusethem.Thereisn’tarightorawrongwaytouseMessageBox,thoughsomeapproacheswillworkbeWerforcertainaudiences.Theimportantthingistogetstarted!
Youmayalsofindyourselfbeingaskedsomeoftheseques;onswhenyouaresharingyourscience,sotheycanalsobeahelpfulwaytoprepareforthoseconversa;ons.
Whoisimpactedbythis?Whocanchangethis?Whocaresaboutthis?
IssueProblem
s?
Solutions?
So What?Benefits?
Audience:
-Detec&onofexplosivesfrom
asafedistance,especiallyinpublicspaces,isextremelydiffi
cult.-
Ionmobilitytechnologyusedtoanalyzethefam
iliarwipesatairportsecurityrequires
contact,&meforanalysis,trainedstaffandsupplies.
-Laser-basedhandheldRam
anspectrometersusedforiden&fica&on
ofmaterialsarenotsensi&vetotracequan&&esofexplosivesand
arenoteye-safe.
Theselimita&onsofpresent
methodsusedtosafeguard
publicspacespreventwidespreaduseforanum
berofpublicspaces,suchassubw
ays,parkinglots,largeoutdooreventsandairports.
Laserscancomplem
entexis&ngsecuritytechnologiesbydetec&ngthepresenceoftracequan&&esofexplosivesthatw
ouldbemostlikely
carriedbyterroristsintheirfingerprints,clothing,andhand-carriedpackages;quickly,inexpensivelyandatasafedistance.
Ongoingim
provementsinlasertechnologiesindicatethat
fast-imaginglaserscanrobustlydetectstandofftrace
explosivesfromadistance,aresafeforskinandeyes,and
don’trequiretrainedstafforconsumablesupplies.
Agencies,Industry,&Scien&stsw
orkingondetec&onofexplosives
MarcosDantosisaDis&nguishedProfessorofChem
istryandPhysicsatMichiganStateU
niversity.Herequestedcoachingfrom
COMPASStoprepareforhispresenta&onataconferenceofsecurityprofessionals,includingstafffrom
governmentagenciesand
businesses,aswellasacadem
ics.Hisaudienceallworkedinthefieldofdetec&ngexplosives,buthaddifferinglevelsoftechnical
knowledge.HisfirstM
essageBoxsuccinctlyconveyedsomekeyideas,butbecauseM
arcoswasintroducinganen&relynew
approachtodetec&ngexplosives,hew
antedtobecertainthathislanguagewasaspersuasiveaspossible,w
ithoutappearingtodiscreditthoseinhisaudiencecom
miSedtoexis&ngapproaches.HisfinalM
essageBoxreflectsthatnuance,withsom
ekeywords
inhisBenefitssec&on(suchas“complem
en&ngexis&ngstrategies”).Anditemphasizesthepar&cularsitua&onsinw
hichhisnew
approachmightbebeneficialintheSoW
hatsec&on.Heacknowledgesthedifferinglevelsoftechnicalknow
ledgeinhisaudiencebyprovidingexam
plesintheProblemandSolu3onsec&ons.M
arcosreportedthathistalkwentextrem
elywell:“M
anypeoplethathadneverusedlasersandthatw
ereveryskep4cal,cameandtoldm
ethattheylikedthepresenta4onandsawgreatpoten4al.”
20
Safeguardingpublicspacesfrom
terrorists
IssueProblem
s?
Solutions?
So What?Benefits?
Audience:
TessaHillisanA
ssociateProfessorintheDepartm
entofEarthandPlanetarySciencesatBodegaMarineLaboratory,andA
ssociateDirectorofA
cademicProgram
sattheCoastalandMarineSciencesIns&tuteattheU
niversityofCaliforniaatDavis.Shew
orkedonherM
essageBoxataCOMPA
SStraininginprepara&onforaninterviewonN
PR’sScienceFridaylaterthatweek(youcanlistentoit
here3).Theboxaboveisherfourthitera&on,illustra&nghow
manypeoplefinditvaluabletow
orkandreworktheirm
essagestomakethem
clearandmem
orable.ListenforthepointsthatsheoutlinedinherMessageBox,andnotehow
shedoesn’treadfrom
herBox,butuseshermessagesinherconversa&onw
ithradiohostIraFlatow.Shealsousesm
etaphorstohelptheaudienceunderstandherpoints,anddoesadem
onstra&on!
3www.sciencefriday.com
/segments/for-oysters-challenges-and-hope-in-the-changing-ocean/
-Carbondioxideconcentra&onshavebeenincreasinginrecentdecades.Theoceanisaspongeforcarbondioxide-soakingup30%
ofwhatw
eemit.Butthis
comesatacost.Carbondioxideinseaw
aterincreasestheacidityoftheocean.-
Increasingaciditymakesitm
oredifficultforanim
alslikeoysters,mussels,&
abalone(thingsweliketoeat!)tom
aketheirprotec&veshells.
OceanA
cidifica&on&Seafood
-Oystersandothershellfisharea
bigpartofourseafoodharvestandourcoastaleconom
y.-
Thisprocessthreatensfoodonourtables,localcom
muni&es,
andfamiliesthatrelyonshellfish
harvestfortheirlocaleconomies.
-Wepartnerw
ithsustainableaquaculturepartnerstounderstandwhatw
illmakeshellfishm
oreresilienttooceanacidifica&on.-
Wealsow
orktounderstandhowcoastalvegetatedhabitats,likeseagrasses,m
ightmodify
thechemistryofw
aterduetophotosynthesis.Wedothisbym
easuringthechemistryof
thewater,andbym
easuringthecarbondioxidethatisstoredintheenvironment.
Understandingtheim
pactsandpoten&alsolu&onscanhelpusprotectseafoodthatw
eenjoyandsupportcoastaleconom
ies
21
RadioProgram
IssueProblem
s?
Solutions?
So What?Benefits?
Audience:
-TreesarenotevenlydistributedacrossthecityofDurham
,NC.
-Minorityandlow
-incomecom
muni&es,inpar&cular,havefew
ertrees.-
Manyofthelegacytreesacrosstheareaaredying.
-Durham
hasalimitedam
ountofmoneytoplantnew
trees.
Durham,N
CTownPlanners&
localcommunityadvocacygroups
Valueofgreenspaceandtreestocom
muni&es.
-Withfew
ertrees,minorityand
lowincom
ecommuni&es
dispropor&onatelymissouton
thebenefitsthattreesandgreenspaceprovide.
-Treesrepresentaw
iseinvestm
entforenhancinghum
anhealthandqualityoflife,aSrac&ngresidentsandbusinessesthatcanincreasethetaxbase.
-Reduceair,w
ater,andnoisepollu&on.
-Cooldow
nneighborhoodsandreducetheurbanheatislandeffect.
-Increasew
ildlifehabitat.-
Contributetorespiratoryandmentalhealthbenefits.
-Im
proveaesthe&cvalues,vitality,andsocialcohesionofneighborhoods.
Durhamshouldplanttreesstrategically:
-Im
provetreecoverageinunderservedneighborhoodswhile
avoidingareaswheretreesm
aycontributetodecreasedsafety.-
Plantalongroadwaysandnearhospitalsandschoolstobuffer
pollutantsandimproveaesthe&csandw
alkability.-
Usena&vespeciestoreplacedyingtreesandfornew
plan&ngs.-
Provideincen&vestodeveloperstoleavetreesinplace.
AnneNealeisaresearchscien&stattheU.S.Environm
entalProtec&onAgency’sOfficeofResearchandDevelopm
ent.SheistheProjectLeadforEnviroAtlas,anonline,openaccesstoolallow
inguserstoview,analyze,anddownloadaw
ealthofgeospa&aldataandotherresourcesrelatedtothebenefitshum
ansreceivefromnature.Thesedataprovideafram
eworktoinform
decisionsandpoliciesatm
ul&plespa&alscales,educatearangeofaudiences,andsupplydataforresearch.AnnepreparedthisMessageBoxas
partofaCOMPASSw
orkshoptoillustratehowtheinform
a&onmadeavailablethroughEnviroAtlas(inthiscase,abouttheloca&on
oftreesincommuni&es)canbeusedtoenhancetangiblebenefitstocom
muni&esandtheenvironm
entontheground—including
inherlocalcommunityofDurham
,NorthCarolina.ShegearedherM
essageBoxtolocalplannerstohelpguidedecision-making
abouttreeplan&ngsinthecity.
22
IssueProblem
s?
Solutions?
So What?Benefits?
Audience:
-Gravita&onalw
aveswillprovidenew
insightintotheuniverse’sm
ostextreme
eventssuchasthecollisionoftwoblack
holesandmayeventuallyenableusto
Universityfacultyandadm
inistrators
Advanceourunderstandingoftheuniversethrough
gravita&onalwave
astronomy
-Gravita&onalw
aveastronomy
hasthepoten&altorevolu&onizeourunderstandingoftheuniverseasm
uchasmodern
electromagne&castronom
yhassincethe&m
eofGalileo.-
Anaggressiveobserva&onprogram
willletusknow
what
drivesthemostenerge&cevents
intheuniverse.Themorew
eknow
aboutsucheventsthemorew
eareabletoinferabouthow
starsareborn,howtheylive,
andhowtheyul&m
atelydie.
ChadHannaisanAssistantProfessorofPhysicsatPennStateUniversityw
howaspreparingforhisfourth-yearreview
attheuniversity.Hisaudienceincludedfacultyinhisdepartm
entandassociateddepartments,asw
ellasuniversityadministrators.
Therefore,hisaudiencevariedinitstechnicalknowledgeofastrophysics.Chadw
antedthesignificanceofhiscuing-edgebasic
researchtobeapparenttoallmem
bersofthereviewboard,w
howillbeconsideringhim
forpromo&onandtenure.Heusedhis
MessageBoxtohelpcrajhisnarra&vew
riteuptosubmittotheboardforitsevalua&onofhiscontribu&onstothefieldof
astrophysics.AsthisWorkbookw
enttoprint,Chadhadn'tyetreceivedthereviewboard'sfeedback.
23
-Althoughitm
aybepossibletocorrelategravita&onalwavesand
electromagne&cw
aves,itwillbechallengingbecauseitw
illberarethatbothshow
upstronglyatthesame&m
e.
-Manyastrophysicalphenom
enasuchsupernovaandgammarayburstsarelikelytoem
itgravita&onalwavesin
addi&ontoelectromagne&candpar&cleem
ission.-
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ultaneouslywithelectrom
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ouldletusconfirm
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odernastrophysicstheories.
-Gravita&onalw
avesarisefrom
oneofthemost
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physics-theideathatspaceand&m
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avesareinmanyw
aysanalogoustosound.W
ithgravita&onalwaveobserva&ons,ouruniversefinally
hasasoundtrack!
“listen”allthewaybacktothe
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hichisnotpossiblew
ithanyotherobserva&onaltools.
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avestheinstanttheyarriveatearthinordertocatchtheassociatedelectrom
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izethechancesofobservingelectrom
agne&ceventsthatcoincidew
ithgravita&onalwaves.
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eendetec&ngandloca&nggravita&onalwavesfrom
1minuteto1secondto
catchelectromagne&cem
issionsthatmightfadequickly,andotherw
isebeoverlooked.
�24
Section VI: Practice!Sure,itlooksgoodonpaper,buthowdoyouknowifitwillmakesensetoyouraudience?AtCOMPASS,wefindthatfeedbackfromothersisaninvaluabletoolforimprovingMessageBoxesandwemakethatanintegralpartofourtrainings.TestyourMessageBoxonotherswhoareunfamiliarwithyourwork.EvenbeIer,tryitoutonfriendsorcolleaguesoutsideyourareaofexperJse,orwhoaren’tscienJsts.
Dotheyunderstandandrememberyourmainpoints?Whatdidtheyfindconfusing(didyouinadvertentlyusejargon)?Diditresonatewiththem?Istheretoomuchdetail,confusingthemainmessage?Conversely,isitsogeneralthatitdoesn’tconveyanythingusefulorintriguing?IstheSoWhatappropriateforyourtargetaudience?
AgreatwaytogetfeedbackonyourMessageBoxistoformanon-sitestudygroupwithotherscienJsts.Groupsofthreetofivepeopleworkwell.GiveeachpersontwotothreeminutestopresenttheirMessageBox,andthenhavethegroupgiveconcrete,construcJvefeedbackforfiveminutesorso.Ifyouareinthesamefieldasothersinyourgroup,trytolistenasifyouwereunfamiliarwiththetopicsathand.ThenadjustyourMessageBoxonceagain,incorporaJngusefulfeedbackintoyourrevision.
Additional ResourcesIfyou’dliketoreadmoreaboutimprovingyourcommunicaJonskillsandengagingwithjournalists,policymakersandothers,checkoutaddiJonalresourcesontheCOMPASSwebsiteatwww.COMPASSscicomm.org.Youcanlearnaboutourmorein-depthbook,EscapefromtheIvoryTower:AGuidetoMakingYourScienceMa?er,byCOMPASS’DirectorofScienceOutreachNancyBaron(availablethroughIslandPressandotheroutlets)andfindlinkstoprimersandJpsforengagingwithpolicymakersortalkingtothemedia.YoucanalsocheckouttheCOMPASSblogathIp://compassblogs.org/,wherewesharetools,resources,pracJcalJps,insightintoourwork,andstoriesofscienJstsengaging.
#Share on Social MediaToshareyourMessageBoxonTwiIer,usethe#COMPASSMessageBoxtag(followandtweetat@COMPASSscicommtomakesureweseeit).YoucanalsoshareyourMessageBoxonInstagramusing#COMPASSMessageBox.WelovetoseetheMessageBoxinacJon,andthiscanbeagreatwaytogetfeedbackfromyourcolleagues!
WehopethatthisintroducJontotheMessageBoxhashelpedyoutoshareyourimportantworkwiththewiderworld.Ifyouwantmorehelp,COMPASSofferscustomizedin-persontrainings,groundedinthelatestresearchinsciencecommunicaJonanddesignedtoempowerscienJststoidenJfyandaccomplishtheirpublicengagementgoals.Tolearnmore,visitourwebsiteatwww.COMPASSscicomm.orgoremailusatinfo@COMPASSscicomm.org.
WelookforwardtohearingyourstoriesofengagementandcommunicaJonasyouconJnuetorefineyourskills!
Issu
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Prob
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s?
Solu
tions
?
So What?Benefits?
Aud
ienc
e:
Issue
Problems?
Solutions?
So What?Benefits?
Audience:
Issu
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So What?Benefits?
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Connect with COMPASS www.COMPASSscicomm.org
@COMPASSscicomm
About COMPASS and the Message Box
In1999COMPASS’founderssetouttoaddressthegapsbetweenscience,policy,andthepublicdiscourse. ScienAsts, they recognized,haveagreatdeal to contribute tosolvingsociety’smostpressingproblems,buttheyoEenneedhelpinlearninghowtoengageeffecAvely.COMPASStrainsandempowersscienAststoparAcipateeffecAvelyinthepublicdiscourseanddecision-making.COMPASS’DirectorofScienceOutreachNancyBarondevelopedourversionoftheMessageBoxearlyon,buildingonothers’workandaddingkeycomponentssuchasidenAfyingthe“Sowhat?”ofyourscience—a core dimension of making your work meaningful to non-scienAsts. Over theyears,theMessageBoxhasremainedthefoundaAonofourtrainingpracAce.
ThisWorkbookand its illustraAonswere inspiredand informedbyEscape fromtheIvoryTower:AGuidetoMakingYourScienceMa?erbyNancyBaron,aswellasourcollecAveexperiencehelpingscienAststodevelopandrefinetheirMessageBoxesinour trainings and coaching. For addiAonal useful informaAon and context, weencourageyoutoreadthebookaswell.