1st State Stories: Delaware Oral History

Interview Workshop

"I want to hear YOUR story" (Making contacts)

You have your topic. You have a list of people to interview. Next, you should think about how to introduce yourself and your project. You may choose to send a brief note explaining your project in advance of a phone call. If possible, have a mutual acquaintance call ahead or mention that person's name when you call. Indicate any affiliation with an organization and clearly state the purpose of your project.

Use the initial phone call to set people at ease and to answer any questions. If you have chosen a topic that genuinely interests you, your interviewees will feel that their time and story are valued.
Schedule a precise day and time at a place the interviewee feels comfortable; avoid public places. Many people are most comfortable meeting in their own homes. Inform them that they should allow up to 3 hours of time for the interview. If possible, discourage a third person from sitting in on the interview, since they may talk over or divert the conversation. Confirm the appointment a day or two ahead of time, especially if you have scheduled it a week or more in advance.

When you arrive at the interview, take time to reintroduce yourself and offer to answer any further questions about the project. Suggest a comfortable, quiet place where you both will be comfortable sitting for up to 2 hours. Try not to get into detailed conversations before you are settled and the equipment is set up.

Just say no to yes and no (The art of the question)

First, identify your name, the date, the name of the interviewee, and where the recording is being made. Even if the interview is never transcribed, this information will identify the recording for a future researcher. After you record this information, stop the recorder to play it back and check for sound quality.

Start with basic life history questions. Do not forget to get biographical information such as when and where someone was born, where they grew up, how many brothers and sisters they had and what their parents did for a living. These basic life facts often affect people's choices for years. You might also ask names and dates that will outline the subjects in the interview from the beginning, and help you as you begin to ask questions.

Have a written, legible list of specific questions, phrases or topics, preferably on a single sheet of paper. Avoid flipping through note cards or trying to decipher confused notes during an interview. Keep your list of questions as a guide, but do not continually look at it, especially when you should be listening.

Fine-tune your questions as the project moves forward. Other important questions may occur to you after you do an interview; add these to your list and eliminate others that do not prove useful. You might also list things to remember on your list of questions (Set the microphone to "on;" Stop and check to make sure the sound is good; Ask about photo albums; Don't forget to take a picture!).

Keep your questions simple and short and open-ended. An open-ended question does not have just a "yes" or "no" answer, it encourages a narrative. Use words and phrases like: "describe," "how," "what," "tell me about…," "set the scene…," and "then what happened…" Except for when you are looking for basic facts, a question should generate "essay" type answers.

Ask plenty of follow-up questions. Especially if the interviewee is giving short, one-word answers, draw them out by asking follow-up questions or rephrasing the same question. Let them know you are interested in the details, their side of the story, their opinion; some people are not used to that. A new question may occur to you during the interview, so do not be afraid to depart from your list. If you need to know more, keep asking questions before you move on ("I don't understand. Could you explain that in more detail?").

Take notes during the interview. You may note basic facts so that you can remember them later on in the interview, or a topic that is raised that you might want to revisit later. You may learn the name of someone else to interview and will not want to wait until you transcribe so you can remember it. List and completely identify any photographs taken or other materials copied.

End with light conversation. Just as you should not begin with difficult, personal or emotionally-charged questions, do not abruptly end an intense interview. Finish up with some easy questions and by thanking the interviewee.

Create a conversation (Interview strategies)

An interview is a conversation, not a question-and-answer session. Your questions are a guideline, not a list to be followed word for word. Think of the interview as a conversation or an opportunity to get to know someone. Do not think of yourself as a reporter asking hard-hitting questions. Start out slowly to make the interviewee more comfortable. Ask one question at a time.

Be a good listener, but do not make repeated comments. This may be the hardest skill to master. Too often, recordings are peppered with "yes," "hmmm" and "uh-huh," which disrupt the interviewee's story and making the audio harder to use in a presentation. Remind yourself to nod, shake your head, make eye contact or use other non-verbal feedback to let them know you are paying attention. Allow silence and give them time to think.

Do not skip over the details. Ask for definitions and explanations of words or terms that you may not understand. Also, be aware that your knowledge of a subject may lead you to skip certain questions or to make assumptions that are incorrect, and you may miss an important part of the story. Even though you may not be as interested in part of the interviewee's life, if it comes in the course of other topics you want to cover, it may make sense to talk about it briefly. You may discover information or insights you did not expect.

Allow the interview to take a natural course. People do not necessarily think chronologically from birth to adulthood. They may have particular subjects on their mind that they would like to talk about first or may want to give you their "story." After that, it is a good time to ask them to reflect on their experiences or give more detail about various aspects of their life.

Do not be afraid to redirect the conversation. If your interviewee gets off-track, be sensitive to the fact that they may be distracted by something that is important to them (such as personal or family illness), even if it is not part of your focus. Try to be polite and listen for a short time, offer an appropriate comment to show that you are listening ("I'm so sorry you are going through that right now") and gently try to change the subject. You may be able to transition using the same topic ("Tell me about a time a family member was ill and it affected the running of the farm"), or it may be best to switch to something entirely different.

Do not let your personal opinion or bias get in the way. You may agree or disagree with the actions or life choices the interviewee talks about. Try to be objective and not let your opinion affect your demeanor. If you are asked for your opinion, say "I'm interested in what you did instead" or make an open-minded comment (Comment: "I suppose you think the war is a good idea?" Response: "Well, I realize that there are people with different opinions and I have to respect that.") Remember that you are there as a historian, not as a judge.

Limit the interview to 2 hours at the most. Many people get tired or impatient after this time frame and you will find your own energy waning also. Ask if you can schedule a second or even third interview if they are still willing to talk and you would like to find out more.

If you are uncomfortable with interviewing, practice! Create an ideal interview setting and ask a friend or family member to help you practice. Pretend you are interviewing them (do not ask them to "be" someone else); you might find out something new about them!

"May I make a copy of that?" (Collecting documentary materials)

A good interviewer will collect at least some documentary materials. At minimum, this would include at least two photographs of the interviewee. You will certainly want copies of documents and photographs that relate to the topic and/or time period your interview covers.

Plan to copy materials the day of the interview, or ask to borrow them that day. If you decide you need photographs for your project later on, you may not be able to reach the interviewee or the materials may be in storage or may have been lent to someone else. You may ask to borrow the materials for copying or scanning, but be aware that some people are uncomfortable lending out these precious personal records. If you do borrow materials, make sure you return them in a timely manner.

Identify and log all materials. Ask the interviewee to identify all photographs and give you the source of printed materials (such as newspaper clippings). You will need to take detailed notes on this, and then record the information in the written log along with the interview index (see explanation below and Appendix for a template). Assign each photograph (or digital file) a number which you also write on the back of the photo (John Smith photo #1, #2, etc.)

Friendly follow-up

Make sure you explain your project. Preferably before or after the interview, explain the project goals and how the interview will be used. Encourage the interviewee to ask any questions. This will simplify getting formal permission to use the interview and help to prevent the interviewee from changing their mind about letting you use all or a portion of the interview.

The interviewee must sign a release form before you can use the interview. This is both to protect you and the interviewee. This document explains the purpose of the project and its potential uses, as well as how the interview may be archived in the long-term. (See Appendix for a template release form). Bring the form with you to the interview, and ask them to sign it before you leave.

Write a thank you note. Send a professional thank you letter conveying your appreciation and reaffirming the value of the interview to your project. Let them know if they will be able to see the final product and/or when it will be presented. Send the interviewee a copy of the release form for their records.

Analyze the interview and schedule a follow-up. Compare the interview with your research and the goals of your project to determine if you obtained the information you needed. If not, or if the interview suggested areas of further investigation, try to schedule a follow-up interview. If the interview was weak because of disorganization, make sure you prepare more thoroughly the next time.

Funding for this site generously provided, in part, by grants from the Delaware Humanities Forum,
a state agency of the National Endowment for the Humanities

and the Delaware Heritage Commission.

Copyright © 2007 by the Museums of Greater Dover (MGD). All rights reserved. No part of this site may be
reproduced, reprinted, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
photocopying, recording,or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the MGD.