For New Projects\New Subject Matter Experts\New Tech Writers
Set Up your Part in the Project
Introduce yourself. If you are new to the company, introduce yourself as the new technical writer. If you are new to the subject matter expert(s), introduce yourself as a writing and editing resource. If you are starting a new project, let everyone know that you control the project.Get Resources to Study Arrange access to sales material (pamphlets or brochures), web resources, engineering drawings, and legacy manuals.
Arrange a Documentation Kick-Off Meeting
Have a meeting for the team members. Facilitate having the subject matter experts seeing others involved in documentation.Present the document development schedule. Provide the major milestones and the delivery dates.
Define the document type and the subject matter expert input needed. So that the subject matter expert will know what topics to bring to the interview, define the type of document to be produced (for example, procedural). Provide specific goals and objectives.
Planning for the Interview
Set up for the Interview
Arrange for the room to be used during the interview. It is best to select a neutral territory rather than using either your office or the office of the subject matter expert. While arranging for the room, take consideration of the resources you will need during the interview. Will you need an outlet or network cable for a computer?Get stakeholder buy-in. For every company, there are people who control (and will benefit from the success of) the products produced and the projects. These are the stakeholders of the company. Once you convince that stakeholder of the need for your document, you will need to get proof of this. By getting a letter, note, e-mail, or just an agreement from the stakeholder, it will be easier to get the cooperation of your management and the subject matter expert.
Get management buy-in. Once stakeholder buy-in is procured (or if no stakeholders can be contacted for support of your documentation), get the support of your management. Their support will help when subject matter experts must return documents from review in a timely manner.
Get subject matter expert buy-in. Finally, convince the subject matter expert of the importance of your document. It may be important to the subject matter expert to have his or her name.
Get approval for the equipment that you will need for the interview. Specifically, ask for permission to record. If you will need to photograph equipment or take screen captures as the subject matter expert outlines the necessary procedure, have the camera or computer approved.
Studying for the Interview
Research common knowledge on the topic. Read textbooks, web pages, trade publications, applicable standards, and other resources.Research competitor information sources. Delve into their web sites, brochures, and pamphlets
Research the company’s information sources. Read legacy manuals, advertisements, brochures, and pamphlets.
Research the audience. Talk to the sales department and find out whether the purchaser will be the audience. Look into the audience’s possible education level, supposed interests, language, and ethnicity (for a starting point).
Schedule the Interview
Consider the document schedule. Consider the date assigned for delivery of the document. Does the timing of the meeting allow you enough time to accomplish the needed tasks?Consider the subject matter expert’s schedule. Your subject matter expert will likely have a number of products to work in addition to providing verbal input to your document. Whether the subject matter expert is an electrical engineer, programmer, physicist, or other professional, thAlso consider the time that the subject matter expert must spend in review of your text.
Consider your other projects. As a technical writer, you can expect to work on four to five projects concurrently.
Prepare for the Subject Matter Expert
Meet the subject matter expert. Observe his or her demeanor. Make note of co-workers’ opinions of the subject matter expert.Determine the subject matter expert’s position in the organization. Figure out how powerful a position the subject matter expert holds.
Determine the subject matter expert’s organizational needs. Does this programmer seek a higher position that could come out of a successful product? Does this physicist want to publish papers, but needs a proofreader familiar with the publication’s requirements?
Create the Questions for the Interview
Ask open-ended questions. For example:- Who uses this product?
- What do they need to know before starting?
- Where does the user enter the commands?
- What maintenance must be done?
- What common errors might the user make?
Center some questions on the user. Make yourself the user’s advocate.
Sequence the questions logically. You might order the questions to follow the process involved in running the product. You might order the questions by the type of the input needed (such that physical machinery questions, computer input questions, and questions involving ultrasonics might be addressed separately).
The Interview
Craft the Interview to fit the Subject Matter Expert
If the subject matter expert is uneasy about an interview, start with small talk.If the subject matter expert is rushed, start the interview.
Listen actively. That is, listen most of the time, but also repeat back primary points to the subject matter expert.
Listen. As someone who has only read recently on the technology, the technical writer must allow the subject matter expert to provide the most verbal input.
The Follow-Up and Review
The Follow-Up: Reviewing the Notes
Perform your note reading and recording review as soon as possible. Add more text to make your notes understandable.If there are questions, get back with the subject matter expert as soon as possible.
The Review
When the document has been written, highlight the text that came from your interview so that the subject matter expert can review it for correctness.Provide an achieveable due date when you send your document for review.
More Reading
Alberts, D. J. (2007). A model of multidiscipline teams in knowledge-creating organizations. Team Performance Management, 13(5/6), 172-183.Flammia, M. (1993). The challenge of getting technical experts to talk: why interviewing skills are crucial to the technical communication curriculum. Professional Communication, IEEE Transactions on, 36(3), 124-129.