Interview Backgrounders

What are interview backgrounders?  

Interview backgrounders are documents or research summaries prepared before conducting interviews with individuals, experts, or entities. These backgrounders provide crucial information that helps interviewers in business, academia, and media production understand the interviewee's background, expertise, affiliations, achievements, and other relevant details.  

By having access to comprehensive background information, interviewers can tailor their questions, foster meaningful discussions, and ask relevant follow-up inquiries. 

Why are interview backgrounders important?   

Interview backgrounders play a crucial role in ensuring effective and insightful interviews for several reasons: 

• Informed discussions: Backgrounders help interviewers understand the interviewee's experiences, knowledge, and perspectives, enabling them to ask informed and relevant questions.
• Personalization: Customizing interview questions based on the interviewee's background allows for a personalized and engaging interview experience.
• Time efficiency: Interview backgrounders save time by providing essential information in one consolidated document, reducing the need for extensive research during the interview.
• Thorough preparation: Armed with comprehensive information, interviewers can dig deeper into specific topics, promoting thorough discussions.  

Components of an interview backgrounder  

An effective interview backgrounder typically includes the following components: 

• Biographical information: Details about the interviewee's personal background, education, career, and professional achievements.
• Expertise and specialization: Information about the interviewee's areas of expertise, research interests, or industry affiliations.
• Recent work and contributions: An overview of the interviewee's recent publications, projects, or notable contributions in their field.
• Relevant news and media coverage: A summary of recent news articles, interviews, or media coverage featuring the interviewee.
• Potential discussion topics: Suggestions for interview topics or specific questions based on the interviewee's background and expertise.  

It is essential for individuals and businesses to respect the intellectual property rights of others and seek proper licensing and permissions when using protected works.  

How LexisNexis supports interview backgrounders 

LexisNexis offers solutions to streamline your interview background research. With Nexis^® Research Solutions, you can access a vast database of news articles, public records, biographical information, academic publications, and more.  

Our proprietary technology and filters allow you to navigate through complex data to find the information you need quickly. Stay up-to-date with our monitoring and alert services, ensuring you never miss important developments or media coverage about your interviewees.  

With LexisNexis, you have the tools and resources to prepare comprehensive and informed interview backgrounders, facilitating insightful discussions and interviews.  

 

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