Interview subject matter experts
Last updated on March 4, 2026When it comes to web content, the role of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) is to make sure facts and details are correct. The role of the content writer is to communicate those facts clearly so a broad audience can understand them. Both roles are important. Working together helps ensure content is accurate, clear and useful.
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When to interview
Interviews are information gathering sessions. They help build a shared understanding of the purpose of the content. This helps writers and SMEs communicate a clear message that meets the audience’s needs.
Interview SMEs when you are:
- Creating new content
- Making significant updates
- Unsure about the purpose, accuracy or audience for existing content
Before interviewing, complete a content inventory and audit. This helps you avoid duplicating content and gives context for your questions.
Preventing risks
Interviews help reduce the risk of outdated or incorrect information being shared more widely. Search engines and artificial intelligence (AI) tools often summarize content and may combine it with information from other sources. Because government content is treated as authoritative, outdated information can be reused or presented as current, even when it is not.
Types of interviews
Depending on the type of content you're working on, you may use different types of interviews, such as:
- Behavioural interviews to understand how people use a service or information
- In-person site visits to see environments, tools, or processes first-hand
- Observation and shadowing to watch how work is done in real situations
You may use one or more of these methods depending on the situation.
Working with SMEs
SMEs are experts in their field and often use policy language or technical terms to explain their work. Content writers are experts in writing for the web. Their job is to write plain language content that a broad audience can understand quickly and easily.
Content writers need to:
- Ask questions on behalf of the audience's needs
- Translate complex or technical information into plain language
- Organize information so people can understand it quickly
- Focus on what the audience needs and remove unnecessary information
SMEs are responsible for checking facts and confirming accuracy. They should not be responsible for writing the final web content.
Interview questions
When interviewing, do not treat opinions as facts. Confirm information using reliable sources, such as data, policy documents or web analytics.
The questions below can help define the purpose and scope of the content.
Understanding the audience and need
- Who is the primary audience for this content?
- How does this content help them?
- What do people usually find difficult or confusing?
- What questions do staff or service centres receive most often?
- Are you tracking feedback?
- Can you share data or examples of common issues or questions?
Understanding existing content
- Is there existing content on this topic? Where is it?
- What needs to be improved or updated?
- Are we currently providing content for the right audiences?
Understanding the information
- How would you explain this topic to a new team member?
- Can this information be broken into smaller pieces?
- Is there information people need that is not currently public?
- What do people usually find difficult about this topic?
For ministries without formal web support
If the ministry does not have a dedicated web team, interviews should also help clarify content governance:
- Who owns, approves and maintains the content?
- Is there a content life cycle plan in place?
- Is the plan being followed?
- How many pages of content are there?
Working with SMEs from outside government
If you're interviewing SMEs from outside government, you must complete a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA). PIAs are used to identify and manage privacy risks and ensure privacy rules are followed.
Any SME from outside government must provide formal consent before being interviewed.