MENTAL MODEL · M7115

Expert Interview Method

BusinessmediumManagement

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Updated 2026-08-10

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

A systematic method for extracting tacit knowledge, experience-based judgment, and professional insight from domain experts through structured or semi-structured conversation. Its core proposition is that expert judgment rests on reasoning the expert cannot state directly, so asking why and how in the context of a concrete case converts implicit knowledge into a reusable form. The qualifier is that questions must probe for evidence rather than opinion, and a single interview requires cross-checking.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Gap targeting: define precisely which knowledge you need before the conversation begins. - Probe design: ask why and how questions that force concrete examples rather than general views. - Case grounding: steer the expert toward specific past cases instead of abstract opinions.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Experts report conclusions rather than the reasoning that produced them, because the reasoning has become automatic. Asking about specific past cases forces the expert to reconstruct the sequence, which surfaces the cues and decision rules that would otherwise stay invisible, and the reconstruction is what makes the knowledge recordable.

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/1

Practice this model in one real situation:

Define the knowledge gap the interview is meant to close. 2. Design probe questions that target reasoning rather than conclusions. 3. Guide the expert toward concrete cases instead of general views. 4. Cross-check the account against other sources or interviews.

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

Learning progress0%

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Source support: Explicit

link
en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_elicitationZH · Explicit
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