Readability/Usability/Quality 4-97 (December 1997) by Charlene Strickland France

Users and subject matter experts own corporate information, and the technical communicator collects this knowledge through personal interviews. To help each other improve this conversational skill, at COMTEC ‘97 we interviewed ourselves on five key questions. The following summarizes the participants’ responses.

 

Why should the user talk to you?

To invite users to provide knowledge that informs your readers, you can try different approaches. In a small company, meeting with users is more informal: you can stop by and casually ask a few questions, rather than hold a more extended interview.

You can send an e-mail first, to explain what you’re asking. This helps introduce you and the conversation you plan to hold. Then follow up with a face-to-face meeting, where the user can better explain the solutions to your questions.

Usually you will schedule interviews with experts for a certain time. At the initial contact, you’ll explain why you need the information.

When you’re speaking with an expert, tailor your conversation to that person. To establish rapport with a reluctant or skeptical source, try asking a specific question about a certain computer function. Or ask a general question on a broad function. Once the expert is talking, then you can pose more specific questions.

 

What do you do and say in the interview?

We discussed interviews with multiple experts, such as in the Joint Application Development (JAD) meetings popular in some software developer organizations. Most COMTEC ’97 participants talk one-on-one with a single expert in a series of sessions.

Sequence your questions. Ideally, bring an outline of subjects or let the topics evolve naturally. (I showed an example of a current project, where I’ve collected information from a team of subject matter experts. The experts had tried to document a complex procedure. I reviewed their initial effort, asked them follow-up questions, and then compiled a series of sentences that described the facts of the procedure. We then reviewed the sentences for accuracy.)

 

How do you adjust to the user?

You should plan the length of time you will need for a conversation. Give the expert an estimate of how much time you are requesting. If the person says he or she is "too busy," ask for only 10 minutes to discuss just three questions. Often when the person starts talking, those 10 minutes stretch into 30 or more. Specialists enjoy hearing themselves talk and appreciate an eager audience.

To encourage the expert user to talk, warm up with small talk about a neutral subject. You can learn something about a person by looking around his or her office--posters on the wall, family or pet pictures, or sports trophies. You may even chat about the weather before you start asking questions. Another approach is offering the expert food and/or drink, as some people relax more at the table.

To bond with users who are experts in a subject, avoid demanding answers. You can repeat answers to clarify what the user said. The "echo" technique, in which you repeat key words (also called mirroring or paraphrasing), can also help encourage the person to talk.

If you hear opinions that conflict with what you have heard before --either from this person or others -- ask the same question a different way. Avoid threatening the expert.

When discussing a subject, you can use one of two approaches. Use ignorance to encourage the specialist to teach you, or establish yourself as knowledgeable. Several participants use the "expert" approach, challenging the specialist to share information.

You can convince a cautious expert to talk by mentioning how you represent the users, who seek the knowledge that the specialist owns. Remind the specialist that other users will read the documents you write, which is your version of the specialist’s knowledge. Say you will route drafts to the specialist for review of content, but not your writing skills. To maintain a review schedule, deliver drafts in chunks rather than all at once.

Some participants expressed a more assertive approach to convincing users to talk. For example, if an expert doesn’t communicate, you could contact his supervisor.

 

How do you screen what you hear?

We discussed the concept of paying attention through agreement. You can respond to the person by appearing to agree with what you hear. You provide this positive feedback by gestures, such as nodding your head. Smiling and verbal cues are also effective reactions. Silence is a helpful ploy, as an obvious pause can stimulate the expert to explain an answer further.

Useful responses to request elaboration include "Why?" (to ask for explanations of the concepts behind tasks), and "What if?" (to pursue all aspects of a topic).

Ask for the important points about a topic. Express curiosity by asking the expert to describe features of the product or service -- especially those of interest to the reader.

 

How do you capture what you hear?

Taking notes can distract the specialist. If you have a good memory, just listen and record answers later, after you’ve completed the interview.

Recording formats can include the usual note-taking or tape recording. You can also use a MiniDisc digital recorder.

Should you obtain the expert’s consent before you start taping? Must you obtain consent explicitly or implicitly? I researched this question in my references, and the legality of taping a conversation depends on the laws of the state (U.S.) or nation. Some journalism authorities recommend obtaining an explicit written release; others support the implicit consent of "on the record" communication.

You might ask the user to review your notes after you have transcribed them. Again, you will be requesting feedback on the accuracy of content.

We discussed waiting for the expert to share one final comment after you have officially closed the interview. Several participants recalled this revelation, where a person added a particularly valuable "nugget" of information.

 

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to the COMTEC ’97 participants who contributed their experiences and opinions!  

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