A subject matter expert is someone who shares his knowledge of a topic with other employees in a company. They frequently serve as consultants for businesses that need to develop educational courses or publish training materials. This person could also act as a resource throughout the entire process of bringing a product to market, or simply provide some preliminary information at the start of a new venture. He may also play a role in establishing quality assurance measures for a company.
Subject matter experts are frequently used technology and software companies to inform programmers and engineers about what a product should be able to do. They may also collaborate with technical writers to ensure the accuracy and usability of product manuals. Publishers, on the other hand, may rely on a subject matter expert to recommend good authors or explain a rapidly growing field of interest. If a publishing company’s editors are unfamiliar with a subject, they can send a book to a subject expert for fact-checking.
Subject matter experts may be used extensively educational institutions, particularly those that provide vocational training. Courses are frequently created editors and instructional designers who have little knowledge of the subjects being taught, both online and in the classroom. A subject expert could be hired to write the course material, which would then be broken down into a course. Another important role for subject matter experts is test development: they may collaborate with psychometricians to develop professional licensing exams, ensuring that the appropriate subject matter is covered and that the answer key is accurate.
Some subject matter experts work for the companies they work for, and they may have a specific role in the company, such as an editor. They could, on the other hand, continue to work in their field of expertise while also providing freelance consulting services to a variety of organizations and businesses. A real estate appraiser, for example, might run her own firm while also providing subject matter expert services to an appraisal software company. In her field, the same appraiser might also write and edit books. She not only broadens her professional network, but she also continues to hone her professional skills and broaden her knowledge, boosting her consultant marketability.