Conducting Successful SME Interviews  

Interviewing subject matter experts (SMEs) is one of the most common and useful methods for obtaining the information needed to create quality documents. Successful SME interviews require careful research and preparation in advance. During the interview, good listening skills, critical analysis, and the ability to maintain control of the range and depth of the interview with appropriate tact are crucial to successful outcomes. After the interview, give prompt attention to notes and any required follow-through. When working with hostile SMEs or those with poor communication skills, emphasize the strengths of the relationship and develop strategies to work around any weaknesses.

Lambe, Jennifer L. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Interviewing>Writing>SMEs

How to Control Interviews Even When Outranked

Expect anyone you're interviewing to try to control the interview, says writer/trainer Thomas Hunter. Anticipate special difficulties if that person outranks you. You must make on-the-spot judgments during every interview, but Hunter suggests steps to take beforehand, alternative approaches to consider during interviews and techniques to use after unsatisfactory ones.

Writing that Works (2003). Articles>Writing>Interviewing

Interviewing: We Ask Some Tough Questions and Present Some Answers

Interviewing brings up some thorny issues. In this edition of "Working Words," we want to follow up on the basics covered in our last column and give you some opinions that may be helpful. To supplement our own experience, we've brought in some heavy guns—several seasoned business writers and a newspaper reporter, all of whom handle tough subjects.

Canavor, Natalie and Claire Meirowitz. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Writing>Interviewing

Writer and Subject-Matter Expert: Establishing a Positive Relationship

In a typical documentation project, the writer's role is not to express his or her own thoughts on paper, but rather the knowledge, plans, or ideas of someone else (usually a 'subject-matter expert' or SME). This article suggests ways to establish good working relationships with SMEs.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2000). Articles>Interviewing>Writing

Asking Questions is Key

I think one of the hardest things in technical writing, especially for new hires, is to be assigned to document a product or feature that you know nothing about.

Technically Speaking (2009). Articles>Interviewing>Technical Writing>SMEs

The Cardinal Rule of Interviewing a Subject Matter Expert (SME) For a Document

A technical writer will periodically need to interview Subject Matter Experts (SME) to gather information about a technical document. More often that not, and especially within the context of software development, most SMEs are engineers and software developers. But they can also be mechanical, electrical and other types of engineers, hardware installers, network engineers, testers, site foremen, call center engineers, field technicians, sales or marketing people, local dealers, etc. One cardinal rule of interviewing an SME is to do your homework well, in advance.

Akinci, Ugur. Technical Communication Center (2009). Articles>Interviewing>Technical Writing>SMEs

On Taking Notes

I have been remiss at writing new content for this blog, and whilst this topic isn’t one that I said I’d post about (those posts are coming, I promise), it’s something I was discussing yesterday and so is at the forefront of my mind. Like many people I still use pen and paper when taking notes, and regardless of the type of meeting I stick with three basic categories.

McLean, Gordon. One Man Writes (2009). Articles>Interviewing>Writing