Expert Interviews: How to Find, Prepare and Conduct Them
Reviewed by Prof. Dr. Alexander Holtermann · Updated 16 October 2026 · 5 min read
Expert interviews draw on people with specialist knowledge of a field, process or organization. They suit applied and policy questions; 5–10 are typical.
Key takeaways
- In an expert interview, the participant is of interest not as a private person but as a holder of specialist knowledge: process knowledge, context knowledge or interpretive knowledge.
- Who counts as an expert depends on your research question. Define clear criteria (role, experience, organization) and justify them.
- Expert interviews are usually semi-structured and more focused than biographical interviews; 30–60 minutes and 5–10 interviews are typical in dissertations.
- Access is the biggest challenge: plan early, use warm contacts, keep the request short and offer something in return, such as a summary of results.
- Experts are often identifiable from their role. Pay particular attention to confidentiality and agree in advance how they will be cited.
What is an expert interview?
An expert interview is a form of qualitative, usually semi-structured interview in which you talk to people because of their specialist knowledge. You are not primarily interested in their personal biography, but in what they know about a field, an organization, a process or a policy because of their role.
In English-language methods literature, related terms include elite interviews (with people in positions of power, common in political science) and key informant interviews (common in health and development research). The German tradition of the *Experteninterview* has been introduced to English readers notably through the work of Bogner, Littig and Menz. Whatever term you use, define it in your methods chapter.
Types of expert knowledge
It helps to be clear which kind of knowledge you want, because it shapes your questions.
| Knowledge type | Question | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| Technical knowledge | What are the facts, rules, procedures? | How does the admissions process for international applicants work? |
| Process knowledge | How do things actually run in practice? | What happens between an application and an offer in your team? |
| Interpretive knowledge | How do experts see and evaluate things? | Where do you see the main barriers for international applicants? |
Who counts as an expert?
Expertise is not a fixed status but is defined by your research question. A head of department can be an expert on strategy, an administrator on procedures, a student representative on student experience. Typical selection criteria:
- formal role or position in the field (e.g. program director, HR manager, policy officer)
- minimum experience (e.g. at least three years in the role)
- organizational diversity (different universities, companies or regions)
- perspective diversity (management, practitioners, external advisers)
Getting access
Experts are busy and receive many requests. Increase your chances:
- Start early: recruiting experts often takes three to six weeks.
- Use warm contacts: ask your supervisor, lecturers, placement contacts or professional networks for introductions.
- Write a short, specific request: who you are, the topic in one sentence, why this person, how long (e.g. 30–40 minutes), online or in person, how data will be handled.
- Offer value: a summary of your findings or the finished dissertation.
- Be flexible with time slots and formats, and follow up once politely after a week.
Preparing the interview guide
Expert interviews benefit from a focused guide. Prepare thoroughly: read about the expert’s organization and role, so you do not waste time on information available online. Show competence, but avoid trying to impress; you want the expert to explain. Typical structure: introduction and consent, the expert’s role and background (brief), 3–5 topic blocks with open questions, specific questions about documents or examples, closing and request for further contacts (snowballing).
Be aware of two classic pitfalls described in the literature: the expert who turns the interview into a lecture or tries to steer you, and the interviewer who becomes too deferential or too much of a peer. Neutral but well-informed questions keep the balance.
Analysis
Expert interviews are mostly analyzed with qualitative content analysis or thematic analysis, often with a stronger deductive element than other interview studies, because your categories may come from the literature or from policy frameworks. Since you are interested in shared knowledge rather than individual biographies, you usually compare across interviews by topic rather than analyzing each case in depth.
With 5–10 interviews, a transparent coding frame with definitions and examples is essential. You can build and apply it at /codieren.
Ethics, confidentiality and citation
Experts are often identifiable even without names: “the head of admissions at a large university in Scotland” may point to one person. Agree in advance how you will refer to them (role description, generic role, or name with explicit consent), and offer to let them check quotes if that is appropriate in your field. Some experts speak on behalf of their organization and may need permission. Ethics approval and GDPR-compliant data handling apply just as for other interviews.
| Citation option | Example | When |
|---|---|---|
| Pseudonym code | Expert 3 (E3) | Default; lowest identification risk |
| Generic role | Academic integrity officer, post-92 university | When role matters for interpretation |
| Name and role | Dr Jane Smith, Head of Learning | Only with explicit written consent and if ethics approval allows it |
Institutional requirements
Some departments treat expert interviews like any other qualitative interview; others expect a specific justification of expert status or a minimum number of organizations. Your university’s own guidelines take precedence. Upload them to Professor Digital and the advice on sampling, ethics and reporting is tailored to them. The methods tool can help you decide whether expert interviews fit your question at all.
Frequently asked questions
What is an expert interview?
A qualitative interview with someone who has specialist knowledge of a field, process or organization because of their role. The interest is in that knowledge, not in the person’s private biography.
How many expert interviews do I need for a master’s thesis?
Often 5–10. Experts cover a lot of ground, so fewer interviews than in other qualitative designs can suffice, provided you justify the selection and show saturation on key topics.
How do I find experts for interviews?
Define selection criteria, then use your supervisor’s and lecturers’ networks, professional associations, conference speaker lists and organization websites. Personal introductions work much better than cold emails.
How long should an expert interview be?
Usually 30–60 minutes. Ask for 30–40 minutes in your request; many experts then give you more time once the conversation is going.
Can I name experts in my dissertation?
Only with their explicit written consent and if your ethics approval allows it. The safer default is a pseudonym code or a generic role description.
Sources and further reading
- Brinkmann, S., & Kvale, S. (2015). InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing (3rd ed.). Sage.
- Clark, T., Foster, L., Sloan, L., & Bryman, A. (2021). Bryman’s Social Research Methods (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Your university’s examination regulations and style guide always take precedence.
Related articles
- Semi-structured interviewsA semi-structured interview follows an interview guide of open questions but lets you change order, follow up and probe. Typical: 8–15 interviews of 45–60 min.
- Interview transcriptionTranscription turns interview recordings into text. Choose verbatim or intelligent verbatim, set clear rules and pseudonymize names before analysis.
- Qualitative content analysisQualitative content analysis systematically codes text into categories. Hsieh and Shannon distinguish conventional, directed and summative approaches.
- Sampling methodsProbability sampling gives everyone a known chance of selection and supports generalization; non-probability sampling is quicker but limits it.
- Research ethicsResearch with people needs informed consent, ethics approval (IRB in the US, ethics committee in the UK/EU) and data protection that meets the GDPR.
