When it was time to start searching for an expert to interview I had no idea where to start. I started scanning through my sources in search of an important name or website. After looking for an entire class period, I found the link to the veterans’ section of the National Suicide Prevention’s website. On this site, you could search by zip code to find suicide prevention coordinators near your location. I found many names with email addresses, and started sending out an email to each expert in hopes of getting positive feedback. I was later contacted by Dr. Paul Fisher, and he was willing to help me with my research project. These were the steps that I took to find my expert.
The process of writing emails to my expert was a totally new experience for me. I have never had to write a formal email to someone before, so I learned what to say and what not to say when requesting an interview. However, it was not very hard once I got the hang of it, and in no time at all I had written an email that could be easily adapted in order to be sent to all of my possible experts. In my email, I introduced myself using my first and last name, where Creekview was, and I informed him of my research project and my topic. I also stated my request to have an email interview with him, and I attached the interview questions.
I learned from my expert that even when someone is a very credible and knowledgeable source they may not be willing to comply with your requests. I contacted five experts on my topic, and only one was even willing to hear about what I had to say. However, he did not agree to answer all of my questions, but instead he sent me many more emails with links to sources that he believed would help answer my questions. Even though I had already been using some of the resources he sent me, I was very grateful for his willingness to respond. He gave me some resources that helped me see the rise in suicides, the mental effects of war on veterans, and what actions are being taken by the military in order to prevent suicide.
I learned many things throughout the whole process of finding and interacting with my expert. The first thing that I learned was that in order to find an expert, you must be very determined and not give up or lose hope if you do not succeed at first. I learned that patience is necessary when you are trying to contact someone because they may not always respond immediately. I also learned that some experts do not write formal emails, and instead use slang words and add very personal and informal aspects to their responses. This experience with my expert has lead me to see that some people either do not have the time, or do not care enough to respond to a high school student who is requesting a simple interview. However, I believe that I was fortunate to find an expert that would take the time to send me some additional resources. I hope that in the future I will not have this problem when contacting an expert.
I have a lot of advice for any fellow and future students who may use this same research process. First, start looking for an expert immediately because it may take some time. Also, try and contact your expert as soon as you find them since some of them may take a while to get back to you. Some other advice that I would give would be to expect anything, because some people will be willing to help, some will decline your requests, and others might not be very considerate when they respond. However, the most important piece of advice that I can give would be to stay on task and get your interview done efficiently but thoroughly.
