The other day we asked you whether there were common questions we should ask in each interview.

We compiled your suggestions and came up with four we'd like you to incorporate into your interview. (If you've already done your interview - don't worry about it.) They don't need to be asked in any particular order; they should be mixed in with your questions.

Hopefully you've heard from the person you're supposed to interview by now. If you haven't please let me or your editor know ASAP.

The questions:

1. What's really new about crowdsourcing? And where is it going next?

(We're asking this question because we want people to talk about the future. As well, this will keep our Assignment Zero project relevant for some time. Think about it: we'll have the world's foremost thinkers hypothesizing on the future - and it'll be accessible in one place.)

2. Is there money to be made with crowdsourcing? If so, why will some people work for free so that others can profit?

(This question speaks to the ethics of crowdsourcing and addresses some of the lingering criticisms floating out there.)

3. Do you really think there's wisdom in crowds? If so, what's the clearest example you know of?

(Here we'd like hear what projects they're impressed by.)

4. What surprised you the most with your project?

(Here we're hoping they'll tell us an unique story from their experience.)

Many journalists record their phone interviews to make transcribing easier. I bought a device that splits my analog phone line into two so one end goes into my tape recorder but we don't expect you to have to buy any special equipment for Assignment Zero.

Skype offers a few ways to record interviews for free. I haven't personally tried any of these but if you want to give it a shot,
you can try this suggestion from Skypetips or this other one from Pretty May, a software company.

Does anyone out there have any other suggestions? Let me know and I'll share it with the group.

OK--I've been getting requests to post more tips now that interview week is in full swing. So here goes:

-Try to ask open-ended questions that allow the subject to explain their actions or views. Avoid closed questions where the interviewee can get away with answering 'yes' or 'no.'

-Always remember: Who? What? Why? When? and Where? For example: What motivated you to start your project? How long were you thinking about the idea? What impact has your project had on social media? What are your next steps?

-If you have a tougher question (such as dealing with comments from critics) ease into the question by asking a few broad-stroke queries first.

-Don't forget to listen to the answers -- they usually lead to spur-of-the-moment questions.

If you have other questions about interview week, please email me at angela.newassignment@gmail.com or post them here.

Ciao. A.

I've been receiving many inquiries from people wondering whether e-mail interviews are OK.

Yes.....BUT there are a few caveats.

You should try as much as possible to make it a conversation.

That means don't send 10 questions and then sit back and wait for 10 answers.

Ask 2-3 questions. Get answers. Review those answers, and then ask a few more. Ideally, you'd want this back-and-forth to continue 3 to 5 times (or sometimes more).

You should let your subject know about the process from the get-go.

Hope that helps!

As interview week approaches, I thought I'd share with you some of my tips.

Before the interview:
-Talk to your editor. They'll be able to help you figure out what we want to get out of your subject. This will help you craft your questions.

-Research the person so you have some background.

-Jot down questions that will answer the basic Who? What? Why? When? How?

-You'll want to try to ask questions that can't be answered with a 'yes' or a 'no.' Ask people to describe when they first heard about crowdsourcing . Or how they got involved in the subject.

-Don't be afraid to ask dumb questions. There aren't any! Chances we don't know the answer either.

For the interview:

Introduce yourself and tell the person about Assignment Zero.

If you are recording the interview, be sure to ask permission first. (It's illegal in many places to record someone without their consent.)

Feel free to repeat back the answer to make sure you've understood it.

If you don't understand an answer, ask them to explain it again in simpler terms. One trick I always use is to think `How would I explain that answer to my 81-year-old grandmother? If I can't then it's time to get clarification.'

End the interview with a simple, `Is there anything I've forgotten or missed?' You'd be surprised where this can lead you.

After the interview:

Transcribe your quotes and post them to the page.

Ta-da! You're done!

This is where you’ll get to chat one-on-one with the folks who know a thing or two about how collaboration works online.

We need people like you to help us interview these experts so we can get the bigger picture on the many facets of crowdsourcing. I promise these won’t be boring conversations. Everyone on our list is working on the front lines and has an interesting point of view.

The goal is to have a massive “interview week” - iWeek. More on that coming soon.

So who am I? I’m a Toronto-based editor and reporter. Currently, I’m the Director of Online News at the Canadian Press wire service.

I hope to hear from you soon.

chrs, Angela