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- Selecting interviewees
- Before the interview
- During the interview
- After the interview
- Online interviewing
resources
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Selecting people to interview is
one of the most important aspects of planning an oral
history project. As mentioned above, you may choose
to conduct one or more foundational interviews in the
early stages of a project to establish the broad framework.
Background research and foundational interviews should
yield additional prospective interviewees.
Several factors should be taken into account when
considering whom to interview. First and foremost,
the interviewee should have first-hand experience
and an in-depth knowledge of the topic. The list
of interviewees should be as demographically representative
as possible to include a variety of perspectives
on the basis of race, class, gender, occupation,
religion, political affiliation, etc.
For example, although the key leaders of an organization
may seem like natural choices and will probably provide
important information on its growth and changes,
it is also important to include interviews from those "on
the front lines." They may have a better grasp
of day-to-day operations and challenges and also
may be more forthright than members of the upper
echelon. Including varied points of view fosters
what historians call "triangulation," which
means getting at a more complete understanding of
the truth by considering as many sources and perspectives
as possible.
Other characteristics to consider include storytelling
ability and how often the individual has been interviewed
previously. Some interviewees may have rich life
experience, but advancing age or personality issues
may interfere with their ability to communicate their
knowledge. Nothing is more disappointing than getting
to an interview only to find that the interviewee
answering in monosyllables! On the opposite end of
the spectrum, other interviewees may have told their
story so often that they have become stoREtellers;
that is, they have constructed a rote, canned narrative
that does not respond well to new inquiries from
the interviewer.
Of course, when interviewing individuals about events
in the distant past, it is to be expected that they
will filter their memories through subsequent events
and experiences. The shaping of memory by lived experience
is, in fact, one of the most fascinating aspects
of oral history. The interviewer should simply be
aware of how this process may affect the content
of the interview. |
Once you have decided whom to interview,
begin by requesting permission, preferably in writing
followed by a phone call. Identify yourself and your
organization, explain the overall scope and purpose
of the project, and ask whether the person would be
interested in participating. If the interviewee agrees,
establish a date, time, and place that are comfortable
and convenient for the interviewee and will be conducive
to good sound quality.
Next, prepare a list of interview questions. Use
the outline of subtopics you developed for the project,
and then tailor it for each individual. In addition
to your general background research, find out about
each individual by requesting a CV or resume, doing
a Google search, and/or getting information from
networking contacts to help establish the individual’s
unique role and experience.
Questions can be arranged in either autobiographical
or topical format. Begin with easy, non-threatening
questions such as date and place of birth, and save
the most difficult or controversial questions for
the last part of the interview. Create clusters of
questions and vary question types (broad to specific,
easy to hard, factual to subjective). Try to keep
questions short, direct, and open-ended, and avoid
multi-part questions. You may want to provide your
subjects with a preliminary list of questions in
advance, which can help the interviewee feel more
relaxed and confident and enable them to give more
complete, considered responses.
Be sure to prepare the following list of documents
to bring with you to the interview, and fill them
out as much as possible in advance to save time at
the interview:
- Interview cover sheet and checklist
- Interviewee life history form
- Proper name form
- Release form
Samples of these forms are available from:
Finally, it is always a good idea to confirm your
appointment with the interviewee with a phone call
the day before. |
At the interview site, try to establish
a rapport with the interviewee. Ask if they have any
questions about the interview process. Reassure them
that they are in control of the interview and will
have the opportunity to review the recording and/or
transcript, and that no one will have access to the
interview unless they agree to sign the release form
following the interview. Give the interviewee a life
history form to fill out while you are setting up.
Prepare the recording equipment and make a “tag” announcement
with the names of interviewee and interviewer and the
date and location of the interview.
Attentive listening is fundamental to good interviewing.
Maintaining eye contact, nodding or otherwise acknowledging
the points the interviewee is making, and taking
written notes during the interview (as long as they
aren’t overly distracting) all indicate your
interest. As you listen, try to formulate follow-up
questions to clarify or expand on what the interviewee
has said. This is one of the most difficult parts
of interviewing that can only be learned with practice.
As you respond to the interviewee, balance respect
for his or her story with your own goals, keeping
in mind that oral history is a two-way, interactive
process. Jot down proper names and technical terms
during the interview so that you can ask for correct
spellings after the recording is finished. Finally,
watch the interviewee for signs of fatigue or discomfort
and offer to pause for rest breaks if necessary.
Generally, one hour is ideal for most interviews,
and interviews that last beyond 90 minutes may decline
in quality and coherence. In special circumstances,
when there is only one opportunity to record the
interview, it may be necessary to record an extended
session, but try to allow adequate breaks. |
Once the recorder is turned off,
ask for the spelling of names of people and places
and technical terms and list them on the proper name
form. Ask the interviewee to complete a life history
form if they have not already done so. If the interviewee
is amenable, you may ask them to sign a release form
immediately following the interview, or you may choose
to mail the release form at a later date, particularly
if you are sending a copy of the recording and/or transcript
for them to review. Be sure to send a written thank-you
note and provide contact information.
As soon as possible after leaving the interview,
you will need to complete one or two more forms in
addition to the four mentioned above:
5. Field notes
6. Recording
index (if interview will not be transcribed)
If recording digitally, download and name the audio
file and make backup copies. Be sure to immediately
label recording media (tapes, CDs, etc.) with the
name and date of the interview. Make copies of the
recording for preservation, transcription, and the
interviewee
(see
Copying files and labeling media for storage and
backup). Compile field notes for each interview,
which briefly summarize the conditions under which
the interview was conducted, any recording problems,
and any pertinent observations about how the interview
went. If the interview will be transcribed, provide
the transcriber with the proper name form. If not,
create a recording index with a summary of the topics
covered. If you have time to go into more detail,
you may summarize each section of the interview,
noting the time elapsed and including transcription
of key excerpts.
Finally, all documentation for each interview (forms
1-5 and 6 if appropriate) should be completed and
filed in a safe place. If you are using a database
to track interviews, the forms can be used to create
an electronic interview record.
For more on post-interview steps, see Baylor University
Institute for Oral History Beyond
the Interview: What Next? |
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