1. By: Dalya Goldberger Presented by: John Lapoint

2.  Concept  First Hurdle  Being Prepared  During the Interview  Conclusion

3.  Interviews with subject-matter experts is a great way to get exposed to new information and material for any research project.  After formulating your own ideas and opinions interviews are a great way to pose these ideas to experts in the form of questions.  Gained knowledge of subject matter.

4.  Getting a subject-matter expert to agree to meet  Be flexible about time and location  Be open and honest to the expert on purpose  Be sure to tell the interviewee the type of information you are seeking, your plans and try to answer their questions ahead of time if possible.

5.  Research the subject matter - have background knowledge to avoid stupid questions  Anticipate the direction the interview will take - start with list of questions, use as guide not crutch  Be prepared for mishaps - Bring plenty of pens and batteries

6.  Make the interviewee feel comfortable - extremely important to make interviewee feel comfortable and relaxed, choose a proper place for the interview.  Take the lead in focusing the interview - guide conversation along specific and relevant paths.  Be a good listener - listen to what is on the interviewee’s mind, adjust your way of speaking.

7.  Learn how to read and use body language - observe positive and negative body language, mirror positive body language of the interviewee.  Know when to ask open-ended and leading questions - ask open ended questions to probe for topics and leading questions to narrow the response.  Use lulls in conversation to your advantage - uncomfortable silences are sometimes created use the silence to coax interviewee to elaborate.

8.  As a research method interviewing subject matter experts can enhance a project or create new ideas.  Making the most of an interview takes practice.  By memorizing basic interview skills, you will be able to focus more on content and less on the interview process.