Key points at a glance
- Set knowledge-based selection criteria.
- Ask about concrete decisions, processes and exceptions.
- Treat accounts as situated evidence, not verified fact.
Define expertise for this question
Example: A staff member who handles a university portal daily may know more about implementation than a director who approved it. Record role, experience and access to the process, along with perspectives your sample excludes.
Tailor the invitation and guide
Explain purpose, duration, recording and intended use of quotations. Ask open questions about steps, decisions and experience. Follow up with examples and exceptions. Clarify whether the person speaks personally or on behalf of an organisation.
Account for position and interests
An expert may understand a domain while also representing an institutional view. Compare accounts with documents or other interviews when feasible. One interview cannot show that a practice operates identically everywhere.
Combine transparency with protection
Report recruitment, context and analysis. Use names or role labels according to consent and institutional rules. In a small organisation, even a specific job title can identify a person.
Final submission context
Formal details can feel like a separate writing task, but they matter just as much for a printed submission. Anything missing, misplaced or inconsistently formatted in the document will also appear in the bound copy.
Use this guide together with your cover page, table of contents, page numbers, source notes and appendices. Prepare the final PDF for printing and binding only after the complete file has been checked.
Practical check before PDF export
- Do headings, chapter structure and page numbers match?
- Are sources, figures and tables included completely?
- Are required elements such as declarations, appendices or the cover page included where required?
- Did you open and check the final PDF after exporting it?
Checklist
- Expertise defined by relevant knowledge.
- Selection rationale documented.
- Guide elicits examples and exceptions.
- Position and identifiability reviewed.
Common mistakes
- Equating seniority with expertise.
- Repeating a claim as established organisational fact.
- Publishing an identifying role without checking.
Prepare the finished thesis for submission
Once the content and university requirements are checked, review your PDF and the available printing and binding options.
Review printing optionsRelated content
Explore related guidance on thesis structure, sources, formatting and final submission.
Frequently asked questions
How many expert interviews are enough?
It depends on the question, perspectives and analytic purpose; no universal minimum applies.
May I name interviewees?
Only where consent and local rules allow it and naming serves the study.
Are expert interviews representative?
No. They provide informed perspectives rather than population estimates.