expert-finder-brief

Expert Finder Brief

What This Skill Does

Generates a structured brief identifying the types of experts needed for a story, where to find them, and how to approach them credibly.

When To Use This Skill

• You are starting an investigation and need to map out what kinds of expert sources will make the story credible
• You have a story concept but don't know which professional disciplines are most relevant
• You want a systematic approach to sourcing rather than searching for names ad hoc
• You are covering a technical subject outside your beat and need a roadmap into an unfamiliar expert community

What You Need To Provide

Required: A brief description of the story or investigation topic; the type of publication and approximate audience Optional: Any experts already identified; specific angles or sub-questions the story needs to answer; geographic constraints (local vs. national vs. international sources); deadline pressure (affects how quickly sources must be found)

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Breaks the story's core questions into distinct knowledge domains — each domain points to a different category of expert
2. For each knowledge domain, identifies the most credible expert types (by professional role, institutional affiliation, or credential) and flags which are more likely to be neutral versus advocacy-oriented
3. Suggests specific finding strategies for each expert type: professional associations, academic departments, regulatory agency alumni networks, conference programs, court records, and public databases
4. Provides a brief approach note for each expert type — how to frame the initial contact to maximize response rate
5. Closes with a "Next Step" note: which domain to contact first (typically the one that will build credibility for subsequent outreach), and whether research-brief-creator should be run to expand the full reporting plan beyond expert sourcing

Output Format

Structured brief, 600–900 words. Sections: Story Questions Requiring Expert Input (bulleted), Expert Types by Domain (2–4 domains, each with expert roles + finding strategy + Platform-Specific Sourcing Tactics + approach note). Closes with a short Sourcing Risks section flagging common pitfalls for this story type. Practical, direct tone. Output ends with a "Next Step" note: which domain to contact first, the most important approach note to act on immediately, and whether research-brief-creator should be run to build the wider reporting plan.