Subject matter expert interview brief
Key takeaways
- Name the subject matter expert interview brief owner and reader task.
- Preserve sources, exceptions, and approval boundaries.
- Verify the rendered route and close with dated evidence.
Operating data
Playbook
Subject matter expert interview brief starts with a reader purpose question for an editor gathering expert context for a substantive article. The recurring failure is simple: an open conversation can produce interesting notes but leave every important evidence gap unresolved. Write down the intended reader outcome before anyone proposes an edit or assigns a release date.
The working record should contain reader question, proposed claim, interview question, intended use, attribution choice, recording consent, owner, and approval state. Keep the governing source beside the decision, not in a private message that another editor cannot inspect. The speaking event brief provides a related operating pattern for source custody.
Write the decision rule in ordinary language: Distinguish personal experience from a general claim during the interview and label each correctly in the notes. Coordination can be delegated, but a route change or stronger public claim returns to the named editor for consent.
When an answer introduces a new fact outside the speaker's direct experience, request a source rather than expanding the attribution. Preserve uncertainty instead of rounding it into polished language. A documented exception is easier to resolve than a confident sentence whose source and owner are unclear.
Preview subject matter expert interview brief on a narrow screen and inspect its heading order, link destinations, media dimensions, metadata, and byline. The blog index and sitemap must name the same canonical route before acceptance.
Close the case with an accuracy check of attributed passages and editorial interpretations before publication. Plain Language audience guidance supplies the external reference for this workflow, while site policy and the named editor control the final decision. Teams that need help maintaining the routine can request a tailored support plan.
FAQ
When should a leader delegate this workflow?
Delegate it when repeated coordination, routing, or follow-up is taking time away from decisions that only the leader can make.
What should the assistant own first?
Start with intake rules, status visibility, and escalation timing so the assistant can act consistently before the workflow expands.