The Message Box Workbook

Communicating Your Science Effectively

Problems?

Solutions?

So W

hat?Benefits?

Issue

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 Messages 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,theMessageBoxisausefultoolforanyscien=stseekingtodis=llwhattheydoandwhyitmaIersforapar=cularaudience.

Makingyourresearchaccessibleandrelevanttakeseffort,butnooneisbeIerequippedtodoitthanyou.Yourpassion,experience,andexper=seareuniquetoyouandpolicymakers,managers,journalists,andsocietywanttohearfromyou!Wehopethatthisworkbookwillhelpyoubuildstrongcommunica=onskills,achievemeaningfulengagement,andar=culatemessagesthatwillresonatewithyouraudiences.

�41Cowan,N.2010.TheMagicalMysteryFour:HowisWorkingMemoryCapacityLimited,andWhy?

CurrDirPsycholSci.February1;19(1):51-57.

Section II: What is the Message Box?TheMessageBoxisatooltohelpyousiSthroughthemountainofinformaUonyouholdinyourheadabout

yourworkandidenUfytheessenUalnuggetsforyourchosenaudience.TheMessageBoxconsistsoffive

secUonstohelpyousortanddisUllyourknowledgeinawaythatresonateswithyouraudience.It'sflexible,

soyoucanuseitforawidevarietyofpurposesandaudiences.It'sbasedonthescienUficunderpinningsof

howtocommunicateeffecUvely.

Thereisn’tarightorwrongwaytousetheMessageBox,thoughsomeapproacheswillworkbe]erfor

certainaudiences.It'salsoimportanttoknowthattheMessageBoxisn’talinearprocess;youcanstartin

anysecUonthatmakessensetoyou,andworkfromthere.Theimportantthingistogetstarted!

ButbeforeyoubeginworkingonyourownMessageBox,it’shelpfultounderstandafewkeyprinciplesof

sciencecommunicaUon.

First,youraudience—whetherajournalist,apolicymaker,aroomofcolleaguesataprofessionalmeeUng,or

aclassofsecond-graders—doesn’thavedeepknowledgeofyoursubjectma]er.Butthatdoesn’tmeanyou

shouldexplaineverythingyouknowinafirehoseofinformaUon.Infact,cogniUveresearchtellsusthatthe

humanbraincanonlyabsorbthreetofivepiecesofinformaUonataUme.1SoprioriUzewhatyoushare

basedonwhatyouraudienceneedstoknow.YourgoalasyoufilloutyourMessageBoxistoidenUfythe

informaUonthatiscriUcaltoyouraudience—whatreallyma]erstothem—andsharethat.EffecUvescience

communicaUonislessaboutexpoundingonalltheexciUngdetailsthatyoumightwanttoconvey,andmore

aboutknowingyouraudienceandprovidingthemwithwhattheyneedorwanttoknowfromyou.

Second,effecUvesciencecommunicaUonrequiresrecognizingthedifferencesbetweenhowscienUsts

tradiUonallyhavebeentaughttocommunicate,andhowtherestoftheworldcommunicates.Infact,

scienUficpapersandpresentaUonsgenerallyfollowadifferentformatthanmostothertypesof

communicaUon.InascienUficpaper,youestablishcredibilityintheintroducUonandmethods,provide

detaileddatainresults,andthensharethesignificanceofyourworkinthediscussionandconclusions.But

therestoftheworldleadswiththeconclusions,becausethat'swhatpeoplewanttoknow.Whatareyour

findingsandwhyisthisrelevanttothem?Inotherwords,what’syourbo]omline?

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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Issue

Problems?

Solutions?

So W

hat?

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: alberto.lindner@duke.eduODepartment of Zoology, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012,W-329, MRC-0163,Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA.

E-mail: Cairns.Stephen@NMNH.SI.EDU. PSmithsonianTropical Research Institute, Box 2072, Balboa, Panama.E-mail: guzmanh@naos.si.edu. $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.

“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

Andfourth,alwaysavoidjargon.Jargonisprecise,buttothoseoutsideofyourdiscipline,itmightaswell

beaforeignlanguage.Jargongetsinthewayandexcludespeoplefromyourmeaning.Evenifyoutryto

definekeytermsthroughoutyourdiscussion,you’llquicklyexceedthethreetofivepiecesof

informaUonyouraudiencecanreadilygraspataUme.Then,everyUmeyourepeattheterms,your

audiencewillbeseveralstepsbehindyou,tryingtotranslateunfamiliarwords,ratherthanfocusedon

themessageyouwanttoconvey.

SohowdoestheMessageBoxwork?We’llwalkthrougheachsecUonoftheboxbelow,usingaMessage

BoxdevelopedduringourtrainingandcoachingofbiologistKathyZeller.ASerdiscussingeachsecUonof

Kathy’sMessageBox,we’llthenshareexamplesofMessageBoxespreparedbyotherscienUstswe’ve

workedwith.

Third,manyscienUstsbelievethatiftheysimply

sharewhattheyknowwithnonscienUsts,they’ll

convincethemtochangetheirviews,including

onissuessuchasclimatechange,vaccinaUon,

orothertopics.Butresearchinthefieldof

sciencecommunicaUondemonstratesthat

simplysharingmorescienUficinformaUon

doesn’tchangeminds,aitudes,orbehaviors.

Instead,peopleinterpretinformaUonthrough

thelensoftheirownvaluesandcultural

idenUUes,andwillrejectinformaUonthatthey

feelisthreateningtothosevalues.2Inthis

workbook,we’lldiscusshowtoframeyour

messagesinwaysthatwillresonatewithyour

chosenaudience.

2NaUonalAcademiesofSciences,Engineering,andMedicine.2016.CommunicaUngScienceEffecUvely:

AResearchAgenda.Washington,DC:TheNaUonalAcademiesPress.doi:10.17226/23674.

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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.WealsocommonlyencounterscienQstswhoidenQfythattheiraudienceistheproblem.ItgoeswithoutsayingthatthisisnotusuallythemostproducQvepathtorelevanceandconversaQon.Thebocomlineiswhoareyoutryingtocommunicatewith?Why?Whatdotheycareabout?

Forsomeofyou,youraudienceiscrystalclear.Maybeyouwanttoreachjournalistswhocanhelpraisepublicawareness?OrpolicymakerswhowouldbenefitfromyourexperQse?Orresourceuserswhoselivelihoodswillbeaffected?OrconcernedciQzenswhoshouldknowaboutimpactstotheircommuniQes?

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.ButworkingonherMessageBoxpromptedhertoiden:fykeyinforma:onfromthescien:ficliteraturethatsherealizedtheCongressmanwouldbeinterestedin,suchastheamountofhabitatlosteachyearandthecostsassociatedwithinac:on.Shegotthestaff’sa?en:on,andthatfirstmee:ngledtoalotoffollow-upcommunica:onwiththeCongressman’soffice.TheyaskedKathyforaddi:onalinforma:on,suchasasummaryofconserva:onbenefitsbasedoncurrentscien:ficunderstanding.SheworkedtoframehermaterialinwaysthatwouldresonatewiththeCongressman’scons:tuentsbyincludinginforma:onrelevanttotheAppalachianTrailthatrunsthroughVirginia’sBlueRidgeMountains.

IssueProblems?

Solutions?

So W

hat?

Benefits?

StaffersinRep.Beyer’sofficeAudience:

- Theoldparadigmofwildlifeconserva:on-whereprotectedareasareestablishedandwildlifeisconsidered‘conserved’-failstoadequatelyprotectmanyspecies-wehavethetoolstofixthisissue

- Underthespecterofcon:nuedlandcoverchanges,themaintenanceofbiodiversityandecologicalprocesseswilldependonrigorouslydefinedprotectedarea/corridornetworksatregionalandcon:nentalscales

- Thisisespeciallytrueunderachangingclimate.IthasbeenshownthatwildlifeareshiLingtheirrangesatarate3xpreviouslythought(11milesfurtherN.everydecade=equivalenttotheworld’sanimalsslowlyshiLing20cmnortheveryhourtoescapewarmerweather) - Bynotaccoun:ngforconnec:vity

betweenprotectedareas,manyspeciesofwildlifewillbecomeendangered-addingtoanalreadyoverburdenedESA/USFWSandmakingtheESAevenmoreconten:ousthanitalreadyis

- Forexample,mydisserta:onworkisfocusedonmountainlionsinsouthernCalifornia.Thisisoneofthemostpopulatedareasinthecountrywithaprojectedhumanpopula:onof40millionpeopleby2050.Mountainlionsherearegelnghammeredbyroadsandhumandevelopment.Infact,mypopula:onisoneofthemostisolatedintheUSandisshowingtroublingsignsofinbreeding.Wearescramblingtoiden:fyandrestoreconnec:onstothispopula:on,when,ifsomeforethoughtandplanningwasdoneasdevelopmentwasincreasing,thissitua:oncouldhavebeenavoided.Thisisoneexampleofonepopula:onandonespecies,justmul:plythisacrossthecountryand#ofspeciesandyoucanstarttoseewhataproblemthiscanbecome.Andhowavisionarycorridorsplanatthena:onallevelwouldbekey.Healthypopula:onslesslikelytogetintoconflictwithpeople

- Anotherexamplethatmayhitclosertohome-ourkitchensandhumanhealthisofpollinatorspecies.Bynotprovidingconnec:vityforthesespeciesitcanhinderthemaintenanceofwildplantdiversity,narrowecosystemstability,andreducecropproduc:on.Pollinatorscontributemorethan24billion$$totheUSeconomy.Ithasbeenshownthatprovidingjustonestripofpollinatorvegeta:oncanpromotetheirmovementbetweencropsandfosterpollina:on.

- Asingle,na:onalplaoormtoassessnaturalareas,wildlifeconnec:vity,andecosystemhealthacrossthena:on

- Iden:fyingcorridorsinana:onalcontextandhavinglegisla:oninplacethatwillhelpto:

1. iden:fycorridorsinana:onalcontextregardlessofpoli:calboundariesorjurisdic:ons

2. designatelandsasa“corridor”3. projectandmanagelandsascorridors

- Areviewof25yearsofpeer-reviewedar:clesrevealedthatthemostfrequentrecommenda:onforprotec:ngbiodiversityisimprovedconnec:vitytoensurespeciescanmoveandadaptinresponsetoclimate-inducedchanges.

- Currently,landisbeinglostatarateof2millionacres/year-largerthanRI+DE-helpusstemthe:deoframpant,thoughtlessdevelopmentandmakedevelopmentandspeciesconserva:ongohandinhand

- Beingmoreeffec:veatwildlifeconserva:onpreservesournaturalheritageandwillonlyincreasethe$145billioninrevenuethatcomesfromhun:ng,fishing,andwildlifeviewing.

- Preventcostlyprocessoflis:ngspeciesanddesigna:ngcri:calhabitat.Reducespoten:alconflictbetweenlandownersandgov’t,betweenwildlifeandlandowners.Increasesgovernmentalefficiency.

- Bringsgov’tinto21stcenturyofwildlifeconserva:onbybeingproac:ve,providingcorridors,andhelpingspeciesinthefaceofclimatechange

Importanceofwildlifecorridors

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 affect 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).

Insteadofsimplydispensingknowledge,trytounderstandthepeopleyouaretalkingtobyaskingques8onsandlearningmoreaboutwhatisimportanttothem.Thisalsohelpsyoutoknowwhichaspectsofyourresearcharemostrelevanttothem,andwhatyoushouldpriori8zeasyou'resharingyourwork.Everyaudienceinterpretsinforma8onthroughtheirownlens.Understandingthatlenswillhelpyouframeyourmessageaseffec8velyaspossible,sothatyouraudiencetotakeshomethemessageyouwanttoconvey.Askingyourselfafewkeyques8onscanhelp.Forexample:Whatoutletsdoesthejournalistwriteforandwhatangledoesshetypicallytake?Isthepolicymakeranelectedofficialwhoanswerstocons8tuents,oranagencyofficialwhomustrespondtospecificlegisla8vemandates?Whatisthefocusormissionofthisorganiza8onoragency?Whatculturalissuesdoyouneedtoconsiderwhenaddressingcommuni8esandconcernedci8zens?

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“It takes a great man to be a good listener.”

- Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States

Remember,communica8onisatwo-waystreet.It’snotaboutperfec8ngamonologue.Effec8vecommunica8onrequireslisteningtoyouraudience,understandingtheirconcernsandhavingaconversa8on.Aconversa8oncanhelpyoudiscerntheSoWhatthatma]ersmosttothemandframeyourmessageinawaythatwillresonatewiththem.Insomecases,thoseconversa8onscanshapetheresearchques8onsyouchoosetoaskdowntheroad.

FAQ for So What? CanIincludemorethanonereasontocareinmySoWhat?Yes.Justbesuretokeepeachexamplesuccinct,andremembertos8cktothreetofiveideastotal.

HowcanIbesuremyaudiencewillcareaboutmywork?Dosomeresearchonyouraudiencetogaininsightonwhataspectsofyourworkwillberelevanttothem.Butit’shelpfultorememberthatmostaudienceswillnotbeasinterestedinthescien8ficortheore8calaspectsofyourwork,andcertainlynotthedetailsandnuances.Theyaretypicallymoreinterestedinprac8calapplica8ons—whatmightyourresultsmeanforlivelihoods,health,well-being,orsecurity?Considerhowyourworkcanaffecttheirlives—ifnotnow,theninthefuture—andhowyoumightappealtotheirheartsaswellastheirminds.Sharingyourownpassionforyourwork,andwhyyoucare,canobenhelpyoureachothers.

WhatifI’mdoingbasicresearch?Ifyouraudienceisotherscien8sts,thenaddingtothescien8ficfounda8onsofyourfieldmightbetheprimaryrelevanceofyourwork.Ifyouraudienceisnon-scien8sts,thenconsiderwhataspectsofyourworkmightresonatewiththem.Thoseaspectsmightincludesomeoftheprac8calapplica8onsofyourworkthatcouldemergeinthefuture.OritmightaddresshowincreasingourunderstandingofXcouldleadtobe]erunderstandingofY—assumingthatYissomethingthatresonateswithyouraudience.Alterna8vely,youmightemphasizetheawe-factorofyourwork,what’snewaboutit,orhowitchangesourunderstandingoftheworld.Doyouhaveadiscoverytosharethatwouldbeamazingandinherentlyinteres8ngtoanaudienceofnon-scien8sts?It’simportanttobemindfulofwhatyouraudiencecaresabout—howcanyouconnectwithwhattheyvalue,theirconcerns,ortheirhopesforthefuture?Thebo]omlineistofindtheintersec8onbetweenwhatyoucareaboutandwhatyouraudiencecaresabout.

Reminder! There are more examples of the MB in use at the end of this workbook!

InKathy’sIni$alSoWhatsheincludesalotofdetail,suchassta8s8csonhumanpopula8ongrowthinoneregionofthecountry,inbreedinginmountainlions,theissueoflanduseplanning,avarietyofimpactsonpollinators,andsomeacronymsthatheraudiencemightnotunderstand.Theessenceofwhyheraudienceshouldcarecangetlostinthedetails.InherRefinedSoWhat,Kathymakestwomainpoints:thatwildlifeareimportantandthattheirsurvivaldependsontheirabilitytomoveacrosslandscapes.Indiscussingwhywildlifeareimportant,sheframeshermessageinawaythatincludesadiverserangeofvaluesthatmembersofCongressandtheircons8tuentsmightcareabout,includingeconomic,recrea8onal,aesthe8candspiritual.

“It takes two to speak the truth—one to speak and another to hear.”

- Henry David Thoreau, Naturalist and Writer

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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%ngforapar%cularsolu%on?Whetheryouwanttoadvocateforapar*cularsolu*onorcourseofac*onisadeeplypersonalchoice.Insomescien*ficfields,advoca*ngforaspecificposi*oniscommonprac*ce.Inothers,itraisesconcernsthatadvocacycouldunderminescien*ficobjec*vityorcredibility.Decidingtoadvocateforagivensolu*ondependsontheaudience,yourprofessionalrole,andthecontextinwhichyou’represen*ngyourinforma*on.Haveyoubeenaskedbydecision-makerstoshareyourprofessionaljudgment?Isapar*cularsolu*oncri*caltosolvingtheproblem?Howimportantistheproblem?

Intheside-by-sideMBexamplefromKathyZeller,shechosetoadvocateforna*onallegisla*onbecausesheconsideredthatsolu*onnecessarytosolvetheproblem.However,manyproblemscanbeaddressedinwaysthatdon'tinvolvechangesinpublicpolicy.WordchoicemaZershere,too.Withoutsugges*ngthatapar*cularac*on"should"betaken,youcanhelpdecision-makersevaluateop*ons,anduseif/thenstatementstodescribethelikelyconsequencesofagivenac*on.Forexample,"Ifthisac*onistaken(ornottaken),thenthisistheexpectedoutcome."Thishelpsexpandtherangeofpossiblesolu*onsfordecision-makerstoconsider.

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FAQ for The Solution? WhatiftheonlySolu%onthatIcanthinkofissimplymoreresearch?Thesolu*oninsomecasesmightsimplybetoobtainagreaterunderstandingofX,Y,orZ.Butinmanycases,havingthisasyouronlySolu%onisanindica*onthattheProblemstatementortheSoWhatneedsfurtherdis*lla*on.Considerwhethereither(orboth)ofthesesec*onsaretooin-the-weedsofyourscien*ficdiscipline,andaren’tframedastopicsthatmaZerinpeople’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.

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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.

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General Message Box FAQ

HowlongdopeopletypicallyspendcraDingtheirMessageBoxes?

Itvaries.CraUinganeffec,veMessageBoxisanitera,veprocess.Youmightstartwiththethreetofivepiecesofinforma,onthatyouthinkaremostimportantineachsec,on,andthenboilitdown.Thatdis,lla,oncancomefromconversa,onswithyourintendedaudience—what’sresona,ng?Whatdoyounowbe[erunderstandabouttheirinterestsandvalues?Oritcouldcomefrompeerfeedback.Eachperson'sexperienceisuniqueandmightchangedependingonhowcontroversialtheissueis,theaudiencetheywanttoaddress,andwhattheyhopetoaccomplishbycommunica,ngtheirscience.

? HowdoIknowwhenmyMessageBoxisdone?AMessageBoxdoesn’treallyevergetfinished;itjustkeepsevolvingtosuityourneeds.TheMessageBoxprinciplesareeasy,butittakes,metodevelopmessagesthatwillworkforyouandyouraudiences.Ul,mately,youwanttoparedownyourideassothateachsec,onisafewclearsentences.Ifyous,llhaveaparagraph,keepworkingtorefineyourmessages,andtheywillevolveandgetbe[erover,me.Remember,the“Sowhat?”canvarydependingonwhateachaudiencecaresabout.Thiscaninfluencetheproblemsyouiden,fy,thesolu,onsyouhighlightandthebenefitsyouemphasize.Onceyoufeelyouhavedis,lledyourmessagedowntoitsessence,workontakingyourmessagetothenextstepbymakingitmemorable(seepage18).

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.

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Section IV: Making Your Messages 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.

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

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Section V: Using the Message Box

COMPASSmosto/enworkswithenvironmentalscien;stsinterestedinbecomingmoreengagedinthepublicdiscourse.Butwehavehelpedscien;stsinavarietyofdisciplines,communica;ngwithmanyaudiencesandworkingtowarddifferenttypesofgoals,todis;llandframetheirmessageswiththeMessageBox.

Theexamplesonthefollowingpagesprovideaglimpseofthatdiversityofthoughtandapproach.NotehoweachMessageBoxiden;fiesitsaudienceupfront,andprovidesaframeworkforsor;nganddis;llingcomplexissuesdowntotheiressence,answeringsomeoftheques;onsoutlinedabove.

- Whatspecificdimensionoftheissueareyouaddressing?

Broadly,whatareyouworkingon?Whatkeywordswouldyousearchtofind

yourtopiconline?

- Whatcanbedonetoaddresstheproblem?- Orwhatareyoudoingtoaddressit?

- Whatdoesyouraudiencevalue?

- Howdoesitimpactthem,orsomethingtheycareaboutit?

- Whodoesthishelp,andhow?

- Whatimprovesintheshort-term?Long-term?

Issue

Solutions?

So W

hat?Benefits?

Audience:

Problems?

Thegraphicbelowhighlightssomeofques;onsthatmayhelpprimeyourthinkingasyoubegintodra/yourownMessageBoxesandusethem.Thereisn’tarightorawrongwaytouseMessageBox,thoughsomeapproacheswillworkbeRerforcertainaudiences.Theimportantthingistogetstarted!

Youmayalsofindyourselfbeingaskedsomeoftheseques;onswhenyouaresharingyourscience,sotheycanalsobeahelpfulwaytoprepareforthoseconversa;ons.

Whoisimpactedbythis?Whocanchangethis?Whocaresaboutthis?

IssueProblems?

Solutions?

So W

hat?Benefits?

Audience:

- Detec&onofexplosivesfromasafedistance,especiallyinpublicspaces,isextremelydifficult.- Ionmobilitytechnologyusedtoanalyzethefamiliarwipesatairportsecurityrequires

contact,&meforanalysis,trainedstaffandsupplies.- Laser-basedhandheldRamanspectrometersusedforiden&fica&on

ofmaterialsarenotsensi&vetotracequan&&esofexplosivesandarenoteye-safe.

Theselimita&onsofpresentmethodsusedtosafeguardpublicspacespreventwidespreaduseforanumberofpublicspaces,suchassubways,parkinglots,largeoutdooreventsandairports.

Laserscancomplementexis&ngsecuritytechnologiesbydetec&ngthepresenceoftracequan&&esofexplosivesthatwouldbemostlikelycarriedbyterroristsintheirfingerprints,clothing,andhand-carriedpackages;quickly,inexpensivelyandatasafedistance.

Ongoingimprovementsinlasertechnologiesindicatethatfast-imaginglaserscanrobustlydetectstandofftraceexplosivesfromadistance,aresafeforskinandeyes,anddon’trequiretrainedstafforconsumablesupplies.

Agencies,Industry,&Scien&stsworkingondetec&onofexplosives

MarcosDantusisaDis&nguishedProfessorofChemistryandPhysicsatMichiganStateUniversity.HerequestedcoachingfromCOMPASStoprepareforhispresenta&onataconferenceofsecurityprofessionals,includingstafffromgovernmentagenciesandbusinesses,aswellasacademics.Hisaudienceallworkedinthefieldofdetec&ngexplosives,buthaddifferinglevelsoftechnicalknowledge.HisfirstMessageBoxsuccinctlyconveyedsomekeyideas,butbecauseMarcoswasintroducinganen&relynewapproachtodetec&ngexplosives,hewantedtobecertainthathislanguagewasaspersuasiveaspossible,withoutappearingtodiscreditthoseinhisaudiencecommiSedtoexis&ngapproaches.HisfinalMessageBoxreflectsthatnuance,withsomekeywordsinhisBenefitssec&on(suchas“complemen&ngexis&ngstrategies”).Anditemphasizesthepar&cularsitua&onsinwhichhisnewapproachmightbebeneficialintheSoWhatsec&on.HeacknowledgesthedifferinglevelsoftechnicalknowledgeinhisaudiencebyprovidingexamplesintheProblemandSolu3onsec&ons.Marcosreportedthathistalkwentextremelywell:“Manypeoplethathadneverusedlasersandthatwereveryskep4cal,cameandtoldmethattheylikedthepresenta4onandsawgreatpoten4al.”

20

Safeguardingpublicspacesfromterrorists

IssueProblems?

Solutions?

So W

hat?Benefits?

Audience:

TessaHillisanAssociateProfessorintheDepartmentofEarthandPlanetarySciencesatBodegaMarineLaboratory,andAssociateDirectorofAcademicProgramsattheCoastalandMarineSciencesIns&tuteattheUniversityofCaliforniaatDavis.SheworkedonherMessageBoxataCOMPASStraininginprepara&onforaninterviewonNPR’sScienceFridaylaterthatweek(youcanlistentoithere3).Theboxaboveisherfourthitera&on,illustra&nghowmanypeoplefinditvaluabletoworkandreworktheirmessagestomakethemclearandmemorable.ListenforthepointsthatsheoutlinedinherMessageBox,andnotehowshedoesn’treadfromherBox,butuseshermessagesinherconversa&onwithradiohostIraFlatow.Shealsousesmetaphorstohelptheaudienceunderstandherpoints,anddoesademonstra&on!

3www.sciencefriday.com/segments/for-oysters-challenges-and-hope-in-the-changing-ocean/

- Carbondioxideconcentra&onshavebeenincreasinginrecentdecades.Theoceanisaspongeforcarbondioxide-soakingup30%ofwhatweemit.Butthiscomesatacost.Carbondioxideinseawaterincreasestheacidityoftheocean.

- Increasingaciditymakesitmoredifficultforanimalslikeoysters,mussels,&abalone(thingsweliketoeat!)tomaketheirprotec&veshells.

OceanAcidifica&on&Seafood

- Oystersandothershellfishareabigpartofourseafoodharvestandourcoastaleconomy.

- Thisprocessthreatensfoodonourtables,localcommuni&es,andfamiliesthatrelyonshellfishharvestfortheirlocaleconomies.

- Wepartnerwithsustainableaquaculturepartnerstounderstandwhatwillmakeshellfishmoreresilienttooceanacidifica&on.

- Wealsoworktounderstandhowcoastalvegetatedhabitats,likeseagrasses,mightmodifythechemistryofwaterduetophotosynthesis.Wedothisbymeasuringthechemistryofthewater,andbymeasuringthecarbondioxidethatisstoredintheenvironment.

Understandingtheimpactsandpoten&alsolu&onscanhelpusprotectseafoodthatweenjoyandsupportcoastaleconomies

21RadioProgram

IssueProblems?

Solutions?

So W

hat?Benefits?

Audience:

- TreesarenotevenlydistributedacrossthecityofDurham,NC.- Minorityandlow-incomecommuni&es,inpar&cular,havefewertrees.- Manyofthelegacytreesacrosstheareaaredying.- Durhamhasalimitedamountofmoneytoplantnewtrees.

Durham,NCTownPlanners&localcommunityadvocacygroups

Valueofgreenspaceandtreestocommuni&es.

- Withfewertrees,minorityandlowincomecommuni&esdispropor&onatelymissoutonthebenefitsthattreesandgreenspaceprovide.

- Treesrepresentawiseinvestmentforenhancinghumanhealthandqualityoflife,aSrac&ngresidentsandbusinessesthatcanincreasethetaxbase.

- Reduceair,water,andnoisepollu&on.

- Cooldownneighborhoodsandreducetheurbanheatislandeffect.

- Increasewildlifehabitat.- Contributetorespiratoryand

mentalhealthbenefits.- Improveaesthe&cvalues,vitality,

andsocialcohesionofneighborhoods.

Durhamshouldplanttreesstrategically:- Improvetreecoverageinunderservedneighborhoodswhile

avoidingareaswheretreesmaycontributetodecreasedsafety.- Plantalongroadwaysandnearhospitalsandschoolstobuffer

pollutantsandimproveaesthe&csandwalkability.- Usena&vespeciestoreplacedyingtreesandfornewplan&ngs.- Provideincen&vestodeveloperstoleavetreesinplace.

AnneNealeisaresearchscien&stattheU.S.EnvironmentalProtec&onAgency’sOfficeofResearchandDevelopment.SheistheProjectLeadforEnviroAtlas,anonline,openaccesstoolallowinguserstoview,analyze,anddownloadawealthofgeospa&aldataandotherresourcesrelatedtothebenefitshumansreceivefromnature.Thesedataprovideaframeworktoinformdecisionsandpoliciesatmul&plespa&alscales,educatearangeofaudiences,andsupplydataforresearch.AnnepreparedthisMessageBoxaspartofaCOMPASSworkshoptoillustratehowtheinforma&onmadeavailablethroughEnviroAtlas(inthiscase,abouttheloca&onoftreesincommuni&es)canbeusedtoenhancetangiblebenefitstocommuni&esandtheenvironmentontheground—includinginherlocalcommunityofDurham,NorthCarolina.ShegearedherMessageBoxtolocalplannerstohelpguidedecision-makingabouttreeplan&ngsinthecity.

22

IssueProblems?

Solutions?

So W

hat?Benefits?

Audience:

- Gravita&onalwaveswillprovidenewinsightintotheuniverse’smostextremeeventssuchasthecollisionoftwoblackholesandmayeventuallyenableusto

Universityfacultyandadministrators

Advanceourunderstandingoftheuniversethrough

gravita&onalwaveastronomy

- Gravita&onalwaveastronomyhasthepoten&altorevolu&onizeourunderstandingoftheuniverseasmuchasmodernelectromagne&castronomyhassincethe&meofGalileo.

- Anaggressiveobserva&onprogramwillletusknowwhatdrivesthemostenerge&ceventsintheuniverse.Themoreweknowaboutsucheventsthemoreweareabletoinferabouthowstarsareborn,howtheylive,andhowtheyul&matelydie.

ChadHannaisanAssistantProfessorofPhysicsatPennStateUniversitywhowaspreparingforhisfourth-yearreviewattheuniversity.Hisaudienceincludedfacultyinhisdepartmentandassociateddepartments,aswellasuniversityadministrators.Therefore,hisaudiencevariedinitstechnicalknowledgeofastrophysics.Chadwantedthesignificanceofhiscuing-edgebasicresearchtobeapparenttoallmembersofthereviewboard,whowillbeconsideringhimforpromo&onandtenure.HeusedhisMessageBoxtohelpcrajhisnarra&vewriteuptosubmittotheboardforitsevalua&onofhiscontribu&onstothefieldofastrophysics.AsthisWorkbookwenttoprint,Chadhadn'tyetreceivedthereviewboard'sfeedback.

23

- Althoughitmaybepossibletocorrelategravita&onalwavesandelectromagne&cwaves,itwillbechallengingbecauseitwillberarethatbothshowupstronglyatthesame&me.

- Manyastrophysicalphenomenasuchsupernovaandgammarayburstsarelikelytoemitgravita&onalwavesinaddi&ontoelectromagne&candpar&cleemission.

- Detec&nggravita&onalwavessimultaneouslywithelectromagne&candpar&cleemissionwouldletusconfirmmanymodernastrophysicstheories.

- Gravita&onalwavesarisefromoneofthemost

profoundtheoriesofmodernphysics-theideathatspaceand

&mearedynamicallychanging,firstproposedbyEinsteinover100years

agobutonlyrecentlyproven.- Gravita&onalwavesareinmanyways

analogoustosound.Withgravita&onalwaveobserva&ons,ouruniversefinallyhasasoundtrack!

“listen”allthewaybacktothebeginningoftheuniverse,whichisnotpossiblewithanyotherobserva&onaltools.

- Iden&fythesourceofgravita&onalwavestheinstanttheyarriveatearthinordertocatchtheassociatedelectromagne&ccounterpartsthatmayfadequicklyandtono&fyastronomerstofollowupgravita&onalwavesignals.

- Anaggressiveobserva&oncampaigntomaximizethechancesofobservingelectromagne&ceventsthatcoincidewithgravita&onalwaves.

- Decreasethedelaybetweendetec&ngandloca&nggravita&onalwavesfrom1minuteto1secondtocatchelectromagne&cemissionsthatmightfadequickly,andotherwisebeoverlooked.

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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.YoucanalsocheckouttheCOMPASSblogatwww.compassscicomm.org/compassblog,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!

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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,buttheyoEenneedhelpinlearninghowtoengage effecAvely. COMPASS empowers scienAsts to engage meaningfully in thepublicdiscourseanddecision-making.COMPASS’DirectorofScienceOutreachNancyBarondevelopedourversionoftheMessageBoxearlyon,buildingonothers’workandadding key components suchas idenAfying the “Sowhat?”of your science—acoredimensionofmakingyourworkrelevanttoyouraudience.Overtheyears,theMessageBoxhasremainedthefoundaAonofourcommunicaAontrainings.

TheMessageBoxWorkbookwasdevelopedthroughthegeneroussupportoftheRitaAllenFoundaAon.Weareexcitedtosharethisupdatedandexpandedversion,withexamplesofhowtheMessageBoxcanbeusedbeyondtheenvironmentalsciences.

ThisWorkbookand its illustraAonswere inspiredand informedbyEscape fromtheIvoryTower:AGuidetoMakingYourScienceMa?erbyNancyBaron,aswellasourcollecAveexperiencehelpingscienAststodevelopandrefinetheirMessageBoxesinour trainings and coaching. For addiAonal useful informaAon and context, weencourageyoutoreadthebookaswell.

TheMessageBoxWorkbookisprovidedfreeofchargeforpersonalandeducaAonaluse only. COMPASS retains intellectual rights to allmaterials; please contact us atinfo@compassscicomm.orgifyouseektousetheWorkbookcommercially.

PleasecredittheMessageBoxWorkbookandanymaterialscreatedfromorinspiredby it: COMPASS Science CommunicaAon, Inc. (2017). The Message BoxWorkbook.h^ps://www.COMPASSscicomm.org/