As part of our explainer research, the Studio 20 team at NYU has been examining the FAQ format — its capabilities and limitations as well as opportunities for innovation in explaining complicated subject matter. In our research, we found the Ultimate Climate Change FAQ on The Guardian’s web site which is notable for its innovative approach: crowd-sourcing the FAQ. Instead of The Guardian choosing which questions needed to be answered, the team behind the Ultimate Climate Change FAQ asked their own users exactly what questions they wanted answered.
We caught up with Duncan Clark, one of the supervisors of the project, to get his thoughts on the Climate Change FAQ, what makes a good FAQ in general, and the future of the genre. Continue Reading →
As part of our FAQ research, we experimented with animation service Xtranormal to create a visual script of an explainer. Looks like someone took our advice, with this conversational FAQ on the United States’ intervention in Libya. In this case, the explainer takes a pretty clear political point of view, taking aim at those who back Obama regardless of his actions.
The dialogue from the Obama supporter is pretty unreasonable, and I can’t say I necessarily agree 100 percent with the sentiment. But as far as the execution goes, this is well done. And with more than 175,000 views, it seems I’m not the only one who thinks so. Bravo.
Recently we offered three versions of the same explainer: conversational text, an audio podcast, and an animated video. This was a key part, but not the end result, of our research on best practices in FAQs for journalists. In creating these different approaches to the same information, our team also researched and developed FAQ: A Journalist’s Guide To Making One That Doesn’t Suck, which you can read below. In it, you’ll find a brief history of the FAQ, our advice for making an effective one, and examples that show what works. Please feel free to link to it, share it, or embed it on your own site.
If you have an Issuu account, you can download a copy directly from them. However, we’ve been having trouble printing from that copy, so you can also download a copy from us here and feel free to print it for your own use.
And of course, let us know in the comments or on Twitter what you think.
In February, our partner ProPublica published a backgrounder on its blog about United States aid to Egypt. As part of our explainer research, we’ve been considering what makes an FAQ effective.
In the meantime, we’ve created three versions of an FAQ on the same topic for you to consider. Now, we’re asking for your participation. Please take time to experience the following 3 examples of an FAQ. Then, let us know in the comments or on Twitter what you think. Which did you find most effective, and why? What didn’t you like, and why? Did you try out all three? Did you stay with them for the duration? We want to know!
1. Watch the video
In a video made using Xtranormal, two characters debate.
2. Listen to the podcast
Din Clarke of Studio 20 tells you the whole story in less than two minutes.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
3. Read the conversation
This conversation can answer your questions and may include some of your comments, too.
FAQ on U.S. Aid to Egypt: Where Does The Money Go–And Is It Worth It?
The United States has provided aid to Egypt since 1979, averaging just over $2 billion per year. They receive more US foreign aid than any other country, besides Israel. But now that “USA” has popped up on tear gas canisters in Tahrir Square, questions are surfacing about the U.S.’s aid to Egypt. Here, we break down where the money goes, how it’s spent, and whether or not it actually helps the people of Egypt. Continue Reading →
Gawker Media is reeling from a coordinated attack on their servers last week, by a shadowy association of hackers called Gnosis. You can’t make this stuff up.
With millions of their passwords stolen, Gawker users are understandably concerned about what further consequences might arise from the hack, and whether their accounts with other websites & services are likely to be affected.
Lifehacker has responded by publishing an easy-to-understand FAQ, explaining what went wrong and how users can protect themselves from further harm. Continue Reading →
As part of our explainer research, the Studio 20 team at NYU has been examining the FAQ format — its capabilities and limitations as well as opportunities for innovation in explaining complicated subject matter. In our research, we found the Ultimate Climate Change FAQ on The Guardian’s web site which is notable for its innovative approach: crowd-sourcing the FAQ. Instead of The Guardian choosing which questions needed to be answered, the team behind the Ultimate Climate Change FAQ asked their own users exactly what questions they wanted answered.
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