My previous post on January 2, 2024 titled Ten simple rules for engaging in clear communication mentioned a template for planning an effective message called a Message Box, an example of which is shown above. This tool comes from a 2010 book by Nancy Baron, Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Science Matter. The Message Box is discussed in an article from Compass Science Communication.
It also is described in another three-page .pdf article titled Explaining Your Research: Using the Message Box to Communicate Complex Ideas. I also have shown it via a color PowerPoint image. The message box consists of a central issue [rectangle] connected to four quadrants [trapezoids], each containing a question:
Issue [center rectangle]: In broad terms, what is the overarching issue or topic?
Problem: What is the specific problem or piece of the issue I am addressing?
So What?: Why does this matter to my audience?
Solutions: What are the potential solutions to the problem?
Benefits: What are the potential benefits of resolving this problem?
There also is a very detailed The Message Box Workbook from Compass, which can be downloaded as a 28-page pdf. file. A recent example of a message box appears in yet another article by Alex Griffith at the Federation of American Scientists on April 24, 2023 titled Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire: Using effective communication to bridge the gap between wildfire science and policy.
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