# Expert Interview Article Brief

Plan an expert-led article with defined interview goals, evidence needs, question areas, quotation approval, fact review, and editorial ownership.

## Usage note

Use this brief to align the editor, interviewer, and expert before the conversation takes place. It supports preparation and accurate attribution; it is not a substitute for consent, recording laws, or your publication's editorial policy. Tell the expert how the material may be used, whether the discussion is recorded, and what type of review or quotation approval will be offered.

## How to use this template

1. State the article's audience, question, format, and the specific knowledge gap the expert can address.
2. Verify relevant expertise, affiliations, conflicts, availability, and consent expectations.
3. Prepare question areas with follow-ups for evidence, mechanisms, uncertainty, and examples.
4. Log quotations and factual claims immediately after the interview while context is fresh.
5. Send the agreed review material, resolve corrections, and record final editorial approval.

## Blank template

### Assignment and expert

- **Working title:** [Draft title]
- **Reader question:** [One primary question]
- **Article format and length:** [Profile, Q&A, reported feature, or analysis]
- **Expert name and preferred title:** [Confirm spelling]
- **Relevant expertise:** [Why this person can address the scope]
- **Affiliations or conflicts:** [Employment, funding, commercial interests]
- **Contact and coordinator:** [Approved details]
- **Interview date and time zone:** [YYYY-MM-DD, time, zone]

### Interview plan

- **Knowledge gap:** [What reliable desk research did not answer]
- **Opening question:** [Establish relevant context]
- **Decision-process question:** [Ask how a judgment is made]
- **Evidence question:** [Ask what supports the view]
- **Boundary question:** [Ask when the advice does not apply]
- **Counterargument question:** [Invite the strongest competing explanation]
- **Example request:** [Ask for an attributable or anonymized case]
- **Final clarification:** [Ask what the writer is most likely to misunderstand]

### Consent, evidence, and review

- [ ] The expert understands the intended publication and audience.
- [ ] Recording consent and applicable requirements were addressed.
- [ ] On-record, background, and off-record boundaries are documented.
- [ ] Promised evidence or documents have an owner and deadline.
- [ ] Quotations retain the speaker's intended meaning and qualifications.
- [ ] Names, roles, dates, and technical details were independently checked.
- [ ] The agreed quotation or fact-review process was followed.
- [ ] Final changes and editor decisions are recorded.