Interview Planning Worksheet

An interview is a great way to gather information on a topic from a subject matter expert. Interviews may range from a single session over a few minutes to several sessions conducted over multiple days. For a successful interview, it's important to pinpoint the specific type of information you wish to gather from your SME. Understanding the focus of your product is key, and you should go in with prepared questions and anticipated responses. Keep in mind that all of your questions may

not be answered the way you expect, which may lead to follow-up questions. Be polite, courteous and professional when conducting interviews, especially when they involve emotional topics. 

Before scheduling an interview, complete this worksheet to work through and plan the interview logistics. You should include: 

• The 5Ws (who, what, when, where, why):
  • Interviewee(s)
  • Overview
  • Date and time
  • Location
  • Equipment needs
  • Personnel needs
  • Line of effort
• Research:
  • Background
  • Interviewee
  • Themes and messaging
  • Issue context (i.e., outside factors that may contribute to your interview subject's inherent bias)
• The focal point (i.e., the communication goal of the interview)
• Interviewee preparation for: 
  • Invitation format and wording
  • Rapport questions
  • Use of interview
  • Question summary
• The storyboard draft: 
  • Shot types (e.g., sequences, static shots, establishing shots, etc.)
  • Sounds

Tip: When conducting an audio or video interview, leave time to check your recording before ending the session to ensure the media is captured properly. If you have an equipment failure, this gives you a chance to redo the interview.