Expertise

Here you can learn more about Topic experts, how to become one, and how to ask an expert a Question.

Understanding Topic Experts in AnswerHub

It is important to identify the go-to people within your community. Topic experts do just that and more.

  • In an AnswerHub community, users can assign Topics to users who have expertise in that particular subject.
  • Users have the option to ask an expert to ensure they are receiving the best possible Answer to a Question.

When you become a Topic expert, your user will automatically begin following that Topic.

  • This means, when a Question posts with a Topic within your expertise, you will automatically receive a notification prompting you to provide an Answer.

What You Can Do With Expertise

From the Question User Interface, you can do the following:

  • Ask an Expert

Becoming a Topic Expert

There are two ways a user can become a Topic expert:

  1. AnswerHub deems a user a Topic expert.
  2. The user assigns Topics of expertise to their own profile.

AnswerHub Deems a User a Topic Expert

Organically: By default, if you receive 3 accepted Answers (on 3 separate Questions) that contain a common Topic within 30-days, AnswerHub will deem you a Topic expert.

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NOTE:

The admin can change the default number of accepted Answers and the span of time before AnswerHub automatically deems a user a Topic expert.

Self Assigning Expertise in Topics by the User

Manually: Under a user's expertise settings (My Preferences or Edit when viewing user profile) you can manually add Topics of expertise to your own user profile.

To manually assign Topics of expertise for a use, do one of the following:

  1. Through the My Preferences menu:
    a. Log in to your AnswerHub site.
    b. Click on your Avatar and select My Preferences from the drop-down.
    c. Select the Expertise Settings tab.
    Result: The My Preference page | Expertise Settings tab displays.
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"My Preferences" in the Avatar drop-down menu.

  1. Through the Edit menu on your user profile:
    a. Log in to your AnswerHub site.
    b. Click on your Avatar and select Profile from the drop-down.
    c. Click the Edit drop-down.
    d. Select Expertise settings.
    Result: The My Preference page | Expertise Settings tab displays.
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"Edit" in the User Profile

  1. Type in the Topics of expertise in the text field below Manually added topics.
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Expertise Settings Tab View

Result: The Topic will appear in a gray box with the name of the Topic you entered.

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Topic added successfully with the option to delete by clicking on the "x" beside the Topic name.

How to Ask an Expert a Question

Log in to AnswerHub

  1. Log in to your instance of AnswerHub.
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Locate and select the Question to send to an expert.

  1. Select Questions from the Content Tree drop-down menu.
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Questions option in the Content Tree drop-down menu.

Result: The All Questions page displays.

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All Questions displayed in AnswerHub based on Votes in this example.

  1. Select the Question you want to an expert to answer.
    Result: The Question page displays with the ASK AN EXPERT button displaying on the right-side of the page.
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Selecting a Question displays the "Ask an Expert" button.

  1. Click the ASK AN EXPERT button.
  • This widget displays in the right sidebar when viewing a Question.
  • It allows users to send a direct message via email notification to a user or group of users requesting their help. You can control the ability to use this feature with permissions.
  • The most common use cases are as follows:
    • Time-sensitive situations
    • Extremely specific asks: If the Question is so specific that only a handful of key users will have the Answer, reach out to one of those users to provide the Answer sooner rather than later.
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Displays after clicking the "ASK AN EXPERT" button.

  1. In the Username text field, type the @ symbol.
  2. From the drop-down menu, select the user to ask.
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Expert drop-down menu initiated with @ symbol

  1. Optional: Repeat as many times as needed.
  2. Optional: Enter a custom message into the Message text field.
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Example Custom Message

  1. Optional: To send yourself a copy, select the Send Me a Copy checkbox.
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Send me a Copy checkbox selected

  1. Click the SUBMIT button.
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Successful Submission Message displayed in green below the "ASK AN EXPERT" button

As an Administrator or Moderator

You can see a tabular view of all identified experts in your admin dashboard.

See the Administrator UI Guide:
Go to Users & Groups Category > Manage Tab > Identified Experts