One of the best ways to gain valuable research is to interview an expert on a given topic. Interviews are excellent resources because you can ask the specific questions you want answers to, and you can follow up and get more information on the answers you find most interesting or confusing. You can’t do that with a printed text!  

WHO IS AN EXPERT?  An expert is *not* your friend or relative or lay person who only has experienced issues regarding to your topic. Instead, an expert is someone who actually works in the field you are researching or who studies and analyzes the topic you are researching as part of a paid position. An expert might be a teacher or instructor, a business owner, a doctor/nurse/counselor, a police officer, a lawyer or paralegal, or a published writer or researcher. Asking clear, substantive, and even controversial questions of an expert will help you gain valuable perspective on your topic.

You should spend approximately 2 hours on this assignment.

Instructions

1. Research: Conduct a brief interview with an expert (a professional) on your topic.Use the resources in the Module 3 Exploration page, theAnnouncements page, and these Discussion instructions to help you prepare your interview. This interview can be in person or via telephone or email, and be sure to obtain your expert’s first and last names, job title, and organization. Anonymous or first-name-only interviews are ineligible for course credit. An in-person interview is always most valuable, but is not always feasible.  If you use email, contact several experts and give them a deadline, to help encourage them to reply in time for you to meet your Discussion deadline.  Be sure to contact your expert right away to get your interview time scheduled ASAP!  Prepare your questions before the interview, but also be ready to move in a different direction if your interview takes an interesting turn.  Take careful notes as you interview.  You might want to record your session, but be sure to get permission, first!.
2. Think: What did you learn from your interview? What interesting perspective did this expert offer that you hadn’t gained from a printed source?  
3. Write: In your discussion post, include the name, title, and organization of your expert. Interpret the interview results and write a summary paragraph of the most important aspects. In a second paragraph, evaluate the information you gained from the interview. How has it changed or added to your understanding of the topic?
4. Post one original post, and reply to at least two of your classmates. In your replies to peers, respond to one another’s interpretations and evaluations. What did you learn? What was most interesting about their interview? What value do you see in the interview process? Try to further the discussion in your replies by asking thoughtful questions, adding interesting information, or connecting your reply to the material we are discussing.
5. Don’t forget that your initial posting is due by the date listed in the Course Schedule. Please post over several days. Points will be lost if you post on only one day of the module.

See the Course Schedule and Course Rubrics sections in the Syllabus module for due dates and grading information. See the Grading and Evaluation section in the Syllabus module for general discussion expectations.