Guidelines for National History Day Interviews
Taken from http://www.dceverest.org/srhigh/socialstudies/histday/Process/oral_histroy_process.htm
Oral History Process
What are Oral Histories?
An “oral history” is the recorded story of a person’s life, which often focuses on a special
happening during a person’s life. Some examples are:
·
Migration to the United States
·
Involvement in a war or conflict such as WWII, Korea and Vietnam
·
Experiences during the Great Depression
·
Local history of one’s community
The goal is to gather stories not just about experiences of that time, but how those experiences
have influenced people’s lives since then.
According to Dr. Bret Eyon, author of How To Do An Oral History About The Impact of The
Vietnam Era, says, “Oral histories convey a dramatic, first-hand view of history, with a
storytelling approach and a sense of personal experience. Conducting interviews with family and
community members illuminates the ways historic developments affect everyday life.” He goes
on to say, “ Sometimes we assume that first person testimony represents the absolute truth, it is
more important to approach oral history as a form of memory – an individual’s way of
interpreting and narrating their experience of a particular event or period. Oral memoirs can help
us understand the crucial role of perspective and interpretation in history.”
Oral histories are important because they often record specific details about events in history
that have never been recorded. In addition, the oral histories portray important events in history
from the viewpoint of the common person. Conducting an oral history can be a rewarding
experience, but it is hard work! The entire Oral History process is very complex and requires
several stages of work. In the following pages this process will be broken down into practical
steps.
Step 1: The Pre-Interview Stage
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1. Get Background Information:
Before doing an interview always familiarize yourself with the history of the topic being
interviewed about. Hopefully your teacher will provide class time and readings so that you have
at least a general background on the topic. Your interview will be much better if you know
about the chronology, themes, people, and key issues of the period.
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2. Determine who should be interviewed:
Only interviews with people who have First-hand knowledge of an event, such as
eyewitnesses or participants, count as primary sources. History professors or other scholars or
descendants may be helpful because they provide different perspectives or insights into the event
or topic being studied. These are excellent secondary sources, but should not be considered to be
oral history. Following are some suggestions from NHD on how to find people to interview.
If their experiences are appropriate for the topic, older family members, neighbors, or family
friends could make suitable interviewees.
·
For specialized topics, your students could check with special-interest organizations. Local
historical societies or museums are often good places to go for referrals; their staffs usually have
extensive local connections and a good idea of who would be willing to help. For military-related
topics, students could ask the local VFW or American Legion Posts for names of members who
might be willing to be interviewed.
·
Try asking the reference librarian at the local public library for ideas about who to
interview.
·
Ask people you meet in the course of doing your research that might be willing to be
interviewed.
·
Find historians at nearby universities to interview as secondary sources. Many universities
have names and phone numbers listed by department on school web pages.
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3. Practice Interviewing:
Writing good questions, listening well, and being a flexible interviewer takes practice.
Another practice activity would be to divide the class into pairs and ask them to write a brief
paper explaining a major turning point in their partner’s life. Have them write questions and then
interview each other, basing their papers on the interviews. Ask them to list what other sources
they might be able to find about this topic (interviews with other people, family letters, diaries,
photographs, church or school records, newspaper stories, etc.)
Step 2: Preparing for the Interview
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1. Setting Up the Interview:
If you are the person setting up the interview, make sure you explain who you are and the
purpose for the interview (e.g. my name is Bob Jones and I am a student at Central High School.
I am researching life during the Great Depression and would like to interview you about your
experiences in the CCC camps in Montana.) If you are going to the person’s home make sure
you write down the address and a description of the house. Double check the address and the
time of the interview at the end of the phone call. Let the person know in advance if you will be
taking photographs. Please schedule the interview one to two weeks in advance.
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2. Time and Setting:
Most interviews will run between 1/2 and a full hour. Be sure to set up a minimum of 45
minutes with your interviewee. If the interview goes longer than 90 minutes, stop and
reschedule a second interview. Setting is also important and we suggest that the best place to
conduct the interview is in the person’s home where they are most comfortable. It is important
to be in a quiet area.
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3. Questions:
To get things moving we suggest that you ask the interviewee to tell their story. This is a
good way to get them talking. Also remember open-ended questions are much better than
questions that can be answered with a yes or no. Use questions like “”What is your most difficult
memory from your World War II experience?” Don’t ask for exact dates or chronologies because
it often breaks the continuity of the interview, as the interviewee may not remember those
specific dates. The best questions often emerge during the interview, and therefore cannot be
anticipated. Some of the most effective questions are follow-ups. Simple questions like, “Can
you tell me more about that?” or "How did you feel when that happened?”
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4. Gather materials and equipment:
Get all of your equipment and materials ready at least a day before. Make sure all of the
equipment is in working order (practice with the microphone and volume controls). Be sure to
take the following:
·
Two tape recorders
·
Two blank 90 minute tapes
·
A lavaliere microphone
·
Extension cord
·
Notepad and pen
·
Your list of questions
·
Consent form
·
Any necessary props
·
Camera
Step 3: Conducting the Interview
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1. Set the feeling tone for the interview:
When you meet the person you will be interviewing so introduce yourself and thank the
person for agreeing to do the interview. Explain the purpose of the interview and how you plan
to use it. Try to make the interviewee as comfortable as possible. Having good sensitivity in the
interview is very important. Be prepared to deal with painful moments with humanity and
sensitivity and also be thoughtful and caring during the interview.
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2. Set up Equipment:
Don’t make a big deal about the equipment. Get it set up and test it by asking the
interviewee to state their name and address into the microphone. We suggest using clip on
lavaliere mikes vs. stand up mikes. Be sure that the mike is turned on and the tape recorder
volume is set properly. It is wise to bring a partner or friend along to keep track of the
equipment while you concentrate on the interview. Common sense dictates that you bring a
second person along to interview someone in his or her home.
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3. Prepare the Person:
Say the following to the person you are interviewing “Please just share your story with us
today. Share any memories you may have. The more you talk, the better. I’ll ask questions at the
end.”
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4. Start the Tape Recorders:
When you are ready to start the interview, make sure the tape recorders are turned on and
the cassette tapes are recording. Use two recorders in case one fails. Start out the interview by
saying, “I’m talking with ______ who is going to be sharing his/her experiences during (name of
event).” Stop and play the tape to make sure it is operating and the voice is loud and clear.
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5. Let the Interviewee Talk:
Let the person talk. Remember that the interviewee should do most of the talking. It is
extremely important that you show interest in what the person is saying. Your body language
needs to show interest. You can do this with eye contact and nodding your head. Do not be
afraid of occasional silences. Give the interviewee think time. Do not fill the silences with
another question. Keep a moderate pace and allow interviewees to completely finish answering
a question before asking another. Also, make sure you ask follow up questions. Use your outline
of questions, but remain flexible. Always remain unbiased during the interview.
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6. Get Consent:
Either at the start or at the end of the interview, go over the “Interview Consent Form”.
Getting this form signed by the interviewee is critical because it gives you the right to use the
interview in your project. The consent form also informs the interviewee about how you will be
using the interview.
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7. Word/Name list:
Consider asking the interviewee to help you with spelling keywords, locations, and names.
Also inquire about any additional materials such as photographs and diaries that might help you
in your History Day research.
Step 4: After the Interview
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1. Label the Tape:
Immediately after the interview, label the tape with the person’s name, your name, the date
and an assigned number. By using a double tape system, one can be stored in a file cabinet,
while the other is taken home for transcribing. In the end this will also allow you to return one
tape copy to the interviewee. Don’t forget to send a thank you note to the interviewee.
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2. Transcribing:
After turning in one tape, consent form and borrowed equipment, you are ready to check out
a transcriber. This is when the hard work really begins. Usually one hour of tape takes
approximately 4-6 hours to transcribe. If you do not have access to a transcriber, a tape recorder
with a pause button will have to do. You must listen carefully when making a transcript.
Transcribing can be challenging because oral speech is so much different than written speech.
Use common sense when editing while transcribing. Take out the umm’s and ahh’s and do
modest amounts of editing to facilitate the reading of the transcript.
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3. Corroborate Evidence:
Check the reliability of the interviewee’s information by comparing it to information you
have gathered from other sources.
Interview Consent Form
This interview is being conducted as part of National History Day program. You will be asked a
number of questions about your experiences in (e.g., Secret Wars for Laos, World War II,
Vietnam War). This interview will be transcribed using the Oral History Association Guidelines.
It is possible that this interview could:
become part of a booklet for distribution to libraries, museums, schools, and the general public;
be featured as part of a newspaper story;
become part of a publicly accessible archive in which the audio tape is made available for
listening;
become part of an Internet web page.
If you are willing to participate in this interview and allow your interview and photograph to be
used as stated above, please sign and date the form below.
I have read the above information and give my consent to participate in this project.
____________________________________
_________________
Signature
Date
Please print the following:
Name: _____________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________
Phone: ____________________________
Interviewer's Name: ___________________________________________
Interview Tips
Introduce yourself. When you meet the person you will be interviewing, introduce yourself and
thank the person for agreeing to do the interview.
Request consent. Go over the " Interview Consent Form" with the interviewee. This form is
extremely important. Explain the ways the recorded and transcribed interview could possibly be
used in the future. The interviewee must sign the form if he or she agrees to allow the interview
to be used.
Prepare the person. Read the following statement to the person you are interviewing. This
opening will give that person some specific directions.
Thank you for participating in this interview. I'd like you to share your stories and memories
about your World War II experience. The more specific you can be about details, the better.
Please do most of the talking. I will only ask occasional questions. Please speak loudly enough
so the recorder can pick up your voice.
Start the tape recorder. When you are ready to start the interview, MAKE SURE THE TAPE
RECORDER IS TURNED ON AND THE TAPE IS RUNNING. (If you are using two tape
recorders, make sure both of them are running.) It is sometimes beneficial to have a friend go
along to the interview. Then he or she can keep an eye on the recorders, so you can focus on
listening and asking questions. Set the tape recorder close to the person who is talking.
Record an opening statement about whom. Begin the interview by saying, "I'm speaking with
who is going to share his/her experiences from (e.g., Secret Wars from Laos, World War II,
Vietnam War).
Let the interviewee talk. Remember, the interviewee should do most of the talking. You should
mostly be listening.
Show interest. Make sure to show you are interested in what the person is saying. Sometimes
the person might talk for a long time, and your body language needs to indicate your interest.
You can do this by giving eye contact and nodding your head occasionally.
Ask questions. When the interviewee stops talking, you can ask a few "open-ended questions"
to prompt the person to provide further information.
Show respect and empathy. Remember, you are asking the interviewee to talk about a topic that
may be sensitive to him or her. It is extremely important to be sensitive and respectful at all
times. Try to put yourself in the person's shoes, and think about how difficult the experience
must have been.
Ask this final question. Do you have a message for young people today?
Complete the information sheet. After the interview is over, complete the "Interviewee
Information Sheet" with the person.
Shoot a picture. Take two pictures of the person after the interview. (Take the pictures from the
shoulders up.)
Thank the person. Express your appreciation for the time and energy the person gave as well as
for his or her willingness to share personal information.
Transcribing Directions
1.
When you listen to the tapes, type exactly what you hear on the tapes.
2.
You may omit things like "hmm" and "ahh."
3.
If you can't hear or understand, rewind a few times and try to get what you can.
4. If they say something that you don't understand, spell it out phonetically and put (sp?) after
it to designate you're not sure about the spelling.
5. Put the person's name at the top of the transcript. Then write the names of the people who
conducted the interview and then write your name. See example.
Veteran: John Malinowski
Interviewers: Shannon Whitman, Cory Thomas
Transcriber: Kazoua Vang
6.
Use Times Roman font - 12 point.
7. Put what the interviewers said in italics, then skip a line in between what the interviewer
says and what the veterans says. See example.
Do you still have any friends from the war?
Yes, I still have two friends who I talk with about once a year. It's so good to just talk about old
time with them.
8.
Save the transcribing in at least two different places.
9. Every time you finish, print out a hard copy. That way if the saved version gets lost, we can
still retype the transcribing from the hard copy.