Gathering information from a Subject Matter Expert (SME) is a key skill, especially for roles like technical writing, product documentation, business analysis, or policy development. This write up is a quick guide on how to effectively gather information from an SME.
Who are SMEs ?
Subject Matter Expert (SME) is an individual with a specialized knowledge on a particular topic or subject matter. These kind of interviews are crucial for content creation, creating learning systems or documenting the knowledge gained for future use.
Before the Meeting take care of few important points. Define Your Goal
What do you need from the SME? (e.g., process explanation, feature details, regulatory guidance)
What format are you producing? (manual, policy, training doc, etc.)
Do Background Research
existing documentation.
Learn the basics so you can ask informed questions.
Prepare Questions
Prioritize clarity and structure (see sample questions below).
Group by topic to keep the conversation organized.