The Issue Section
What are you working on? What keywords would you search?
The Issue section in the center of the box identifies and describes the overarching issue or topic that you’re addressing in broad terms. It’s the big-picture context of your work. This should be very concise and clear; no more than a short phrase. You might find you revisit the Issue after you’ve filled out your Message Box, to see if your thinking on the overarching topic has changed since you started.
Questions to ask yourself as you articulate the Issue:
If you were looking for information about this online, what would be the 2-3 word search term you’d use?
What signal does your word choice send (i.e. ‘climate change’ vs. ‘global warming’)?
Side-by-Side Example
See the full side-by-side of Kathy’s Message Box here.
Initial
Importance of wildlife corridors
Initial Feedback
The phrase “importance of” is a little vague.
Refined
Conserving wildlife corridors
Refined Feedback
Using the word “conserving” in place of “importance of” provides more specificity—she’s going to discuss how to conserve these corridors, not just why they are important.
FAQs for the Issues Section
What’s the difference between the Problem and the Issue?
The Problem box is more focused and specific to your work or research question. The Issue box is helpful for providing context and indicating how the Problem you’ve identified fits into the bigger picture.
How broad/narrow is too broad/narrow?
The Issue needs to be broad enough to encompass the key points you want to get across, but specific enough that it sets up what’s to come. You want to set the stage for what’s to come without getting stuck in the weeds right away. If your Message Box were a movie, this would be the genre.
My research is only one small part of this topic. Is that okay?
Yes. Putting your work into the broader context helps you to take a step back and articulate the other parts of the Message Box and why they should matter to your audience. It can also help guide you as you work through the Message Box. Often, one piece of the Message Box will feel very clear, the others, maybe not so much. So taking a broader view and thinking about the context can be helpful.
Why does word choice matter?
The Issue can cue or ‘frame’ the rest of your Message Box, so while it seems very simple, it’s still important for signaling the scale, severity, or significance of your message.
Pick a section of The Message Box to explore next
Download a blank Message Box to print, and fill out as you go.
Click on a section below to learn more about it.
More from the Message Box
Examples
Discover how researchers from different fields use the Message Box to communicate with a variety of audiences
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