Expert Interview: Importance, Use, and Guidelines

Expert interview is a type of interview that involves an interviewed person and one or two interviewers. This type of interview is conducted majorly when it comes to research activities in some areas of study that require expertise. Learn about the importance, use, and guidelines for conducting an expert interview.

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Expert interview
Just like any other interview, the expert interview is a type of interview that involves an
interviewed person and one or two interviewers. This is a special type of interview since it
entails interview on someone’s special knowledge and lots of acknowledged experience resulting
from noticeable actions, initially or current assigned responsibilities, obligated duties and
specific functional status within an organization. In addition to that, the interviewee should be an
expert in their area of study and it can be done face to face, one on one or even can be conducted
by the large group. This type of interview can be either formal or informal where I can be held
over the phone, email or in person.
The use of expert interview
This type of interview is conducted majorly when it comes to research activities in some
areas of study that require expertise. Expertise interview enables an interviewer in finding more
specific information about particular areas of study. Some of the areas where this kind of
interview can be applied include marketing area and political and social research. (Socializing
Science VU, 2014)
How to conduct an expert interview
This is a very important way of gaining knowledge on matters that need a lot of expertise.
When an individual is conducting research, many are the times they end up using expert
interview and therefore it should be prepared for and conducted in a relaxed setting. The
preparation is to ensure ideal presentation of content and subject matter from the expert side. It’s

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used when begging workshop or any group event and when weaving ideas between participants
and digging down key issues. The participants of the expert interview include;
1. Facilitator; also referred to as a moderator
2. Invited guests who in this case are the subject matter guests
3. The general audience which can be any number of people but preferably a small sized
audience will encourage participation.
When it comes to the actual conduct of the expert interview, some things must be considered.
Experts and elites tend to have busy schedules and therefore if a researcher does not want to have
a telephone form of interview ought to book an appointment with them. When booking the
appointment, the interviewer should include the topics to be covered and informed consent form.
During the actual expert interview, the interviewer should create an encouraging and an
appealing tone so as to get the maximum out of the process. The interviewer should concentrate
on the open question and should allow the interviewee to lead the conversation. The following
are some guidelines when undertaking expert interview;
1. Focus on the interviewee at the beginning of the event and show them that you recognize
their accomplishment and achievements
2. Try to be personal in a way as the conversation progresses but in a positive way, e.g., ask
where you seem not to understand
3. Crank up the intensity of your questions by asking more follow-up questions and perhaps
even shifting the direction of your discussion if something of value unexpectedly arises.
4. Take notes in the course of the interview and ask questions
5. If possible record the interview

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6. Listen more than you will speak (underwood, 2107)
Importance of conducting an expert interview
 Its educative on areas requiring skills and expertise
 Easy to manage when collecting primary data

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References
Socializing Science VU, 2014. Conducting Expert-interviews: some do’s and don’ts. socializing science ,
p.98.
Underwood, j., 2107. HOW TO CONDUCT EXPERT INTERVIEWS FOR COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE DATA
COLLECTION. business strategies , 31, p.34.