Identifying and Interviewing an Expert Now that you’ve chosen a project topic area and completed your literature review, your task is to find and interview an expert. Your expert will be able to give you more insight into your topic, and give you advice on how to proceed with your project. Identify an Expert Work with your mentor to identify potential experts working in the field of your project topic. Do internet searches using key words related to your project topic to help identify scientific and environmental organizations and agencies located in your area that might have possible experts. A great resource is your Chapter University’s web site. Your mentor can help you use the website to identify faculty or graduate students who are conducting research on your topic area. In addition, you can use websites such as www.earthportal.org and www.wiserearth.org to identify experts working on your topic area. Make Contact Once you have identified two or three individuals whom you could interview, call or e-mail to introduce yourself as a student conducting an EnvironMentors Project and request a date and time for an interview. Make sure to first request a date and time for an in-person interview. You will gain much more insight into your topic area if you conduct an in-person interview. However, if this is not possible, set up a telephone interview at a designated time. Develop Your Interview Questions The more prepared you are, the more useful your interview will be. Use what you learned in your Literature Review to write questions that show your Expert that you are invested in your project. You don’t want your Expert to think that you know nothing about your topic and are using their time unwisely. Use the space provided on the next few pages to write down the questions you prepare ahead of time. Be sure to ask your mentor for assistance and advice in developing your interview questions. Send your Questions in Advance When setting up your interview time, ask your Expert if they would prefer to receive your questions in advance so they can prepare their answers. Gather Materials Be sure to take this manual to your interview, as it contains all the information you’ve learned so far about your topic, as well as your interview questions. Bring extra pens or pencils, as well as some extra paper in case you run out of room for notes in the space provided on the next few pages. Dress Appropriately and Be On Time Wear a nice pair of slacks or a skirt (no jeans) and a button-down shirt. If possible, try to be 5-10 minutes early to your interview appointment. Send a Thank You Note Be sure you have your Expert’s postal mailing address so you can send a brief hand written thank you note.
Expert Interview: Email Template **Use the following email format to draft an email to an expert you have identified to interview: Dear Professor/Dr./Mr./Ms (Last Name), I am a student at (School Name) High School in (City, State). I am part of a program called EnvironMentors and I am doing a research paper on (Topic). My research question is: (Research Question). Part of my research includes finding an expert to interview on this topic. I read your work in (Cite some of their research) and I think you would be a huge resource to my project. I would love the opportunity to do an interview with you sometime this month. Please let me know if you have any time available at all to answer a few questions for me. Thank you for your time and consideration, Sincerely, (Name) (e-mail) (phone number) **If they respond that they can meet with you make sure to do the following: Set up a DATE, TIME, and PLACE for the interview. Send them AT LEAST 3 questions that you will be asking them about your topic (but you should have at least 5 questions that you ask them at the interview, one should be on about your actual experiment) Always thank them ** Remember the following tips before your interview: Before the Interview 1) Call/email and confirm the interview the day before 2) Rehearse your questions and go over your notes on what YOU know about your topic Day of the Interview: 1) Dress Professionally 2) BE ON TIME- on time means 10 minutes before meeting begins 3) Take notes on what they say. If you want to record the interview, you must ask their permission 4) Thank them for the interview and TAKE THEIR BUSINESS CARD After the Interview: 1) Go over your notes from the interview and fill in any missing parts 2) SEND THEM A THANK YOU NOTE