2. Now that you have joined AaE, here is
how to answer questions… expertly
Step I:
You will receive an
email notification
when you have
been assigned a
question. To answer
this question either
click the link
provided in the
email, or sign in to
your Ask an Expert
profile by going to
ask.extension.org
Your question assignments will
appear here
THE GOAL IS FOR QUESTIONS TO BE
ANSWERED WITHIN 48 HOURS
24 HOURS IS PREFERABLE
3. STEP II: Your Answer
1. Your answer must be
concise, polite, unbiased, and
research/experience based. It is sometimes
necessary to look up information to provide a
complete and accurate answer
2. Add any additional, relevant tags so that the
question can be easily located in the future.
3. Don’t hesitate to reassign to the question if you
cannot answer it (how to do this will come later)
4. Tags are used to make the
questions and answers
searchable. Your question
will come to you with
tags, however, you may add
additional tags that you find
relevant.
As you type in the “add
tags” box, a list of existing
tags will appear in a
dropdown. Select your tags
from this list if possible. If
the tag you wish to use
does not yet exist, a new
tag can be added.
Type answer here: answer the
question with straight text to
accommodate the very basic
settings of any email software
Tagging and Typing Your Answer
5. Summary of “Ask an Expert Question
Response Guidelines”
Always respond or reassign!
Quality answers:
• answer the question completely
• may include links to articles on extension.org, or other appropriate sites
• use language and terminology that is broadly understood
• use the word "we" instead of "I" when referring to the author(s) of the
answer
Length of replies:
• include exact answer in the first two sentences, if possible
• brief/concise replies are the most appropriate for public consumption
• search the existing questions, to verify that the question has not already
been answered in eXtension
Geographic considerations:
• discuss any local, state, regional or geographic differences, denote these
differences in the answer
6. Summary of: “Ask an Expert Question
Response Guidelines” Continued
Local Contact:
• include any local contacts (local extension agents, specialists, partner
agencies) that could assist with local or regional information, if applicable
Quotations and references:
• Reference any information collected directly from a source (ie, According
to the USDA’s Team Nutrition…)
Omit opinion:
• it is not appropriate to voice only opinions in your answer
• answer the question only if you have factual information to contribute.
Sharing or reassigning Questions:
• If you do not have time to answer, if it is an inconvenient time for you, if
the question is out of your area of expertise, or if you don’t feel
comfortable answering it, you can reassign it to your communities'
“Question Wrangler”
7. Reassign a Question
• If you do not know the answer
• The question has been assigned to the wrong
group/community
• You cannot answer the question within 48 hours
8. Reassign a Question Continued
Always reassign questions to Katherine Baildon
because she is the question wrangler for Healthy Food
Choices in Schools. To do this type her name in the
“search by name” box.
9. Step III Public vs. Private
• When questions are submitted, the individual
that submitted the question has the option to
make the question private- this decision can
not be overridden by the expert
• If the question is marked public by the
individual that submitted the question, the
expert can choose to make the answer private
when appropriate (duplicate
question, contains personal information etc.)
10. Step IV: Send Response
Your signature will automatically appear as you typed it in
your Answering Settings, however, you can customize it for a
particular answer by editing it here.
11. All Answers Will Include this
Disclaimer
“This message for informational purposes only. It is not
intended to be a substitute for personalized professional
advice. For specific local information, contact your local county
Cooperative Extension office or other qualified professionals.
eXtension Foundation does not recommend or endorse any
specific tests, professional, products, procedures, opinions, or
other information that may be mentioned. Reliance on any
information provided by eXtension
Foundation, employees, suppliers, member universities, or
other third parties through eXtension is solely at the user's
own risk. All eXtension content and communication is subject
to the terms of use
http://www.extension.org/main/termsofuse which may be
revised at any time.”
12. For more information on answering
questions using Ask an Expert visit:
• AaE How-to Workbook:
http://create.extension.org/sites/default/files/
AaE_How-to-Workbook_2013_FINAL.pdf
• Suggested Guidelines for Responding to
Questions Submitted through Ask an Expert:
http://create.extension.org/node/2434
• Direct additional questions to Katie at
kmb338@gmail.com
