The University Museum

Exploring Your Findings - Oral History

Oral History is a way to collect information from someone's personal experience and preserve it in their own style and language. Oral histories are collected with a specific purpose in mind.

Things to decide before you begin:

• Whom should you interview? - What are you hoping to find out from your oral history? If you are recording family history, start with the oldest members of your family. If you are looking for a specific topic, like music or a specific event from the past, search for the people who are most likely to know about or have experience with that topic.
• What questions do you want to ask? - Make a list of questions to use as a guide. For many ideas, the questions will be a starting place. Asking follow-up questions is an important skill. Often the person you are interviewing will give you some unexpected information, and you should be ready to change directions with your questions. Make your questions open-ended and encourage discussion. Things such as: Tell me more about that... Can you give me an example of... And then what happened... Also, ask questions that will help you put events in chronological order, such as: When did that happen... How old were you then...
• How do you want to record your information? - Recording your interview is the best choice. It is impossible to put everything on paper, and the recording will provide a more complete record. You can always transcribe the recording later. Be sure to ask permission to record the interview before you begin. Some people may not wish to be recorded, and you should respect their wishes.

Before the Interview:

• Contact the person to be interviewed and arrange a time to visit. Your interview should take approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Explain why you are asking for an interview and tell the person what you are planning to do with the information. Be courteous on the phone and speak clearly!
• Ask for permission to record the interview. Test your recorder before the interview to be sure it is working. Take extra batteries with you, and an extension cord if you can plug the recorder in. Take an extra tape and pencil and paper.
• Prepare your questions and be familiar with them. Practice with a friend before you go.

During the Interview:

• Arrive on time! Be courteous and respectful.
• Place the recorder close to the person you are interviewing. Eliminate as much background noise as possible (radio, TV, etc.).
• Begin each recording by stating the date, time, who you are, who you are interviewing and why. This way you will always have that information, even if your notes get separated from the tape!
• Speak clearly when you ask your questions. If necessary, ask them to repeat an answer or explain a word or reference you don't understand. Use your prepared list of questions as a guide, but don't be afraid to add something new to follow up on a particular point.
• Listen carefully when the person speaks. Your follow-up questions will depend on the information you have just been given.

After the Interview:

• Send a thank you note to the person you have interviewed.
• If you transcribe the interview, do it accurately! Do not summarize or change the content. You can write a separate summary that gives your impressions, but do not make changes in the original transcription.
• If possible, provide that person with a copy of the recording you have made or with a copy of your notes.

Remember, you asked for permission to interview the person for a specific purpose such as a school report or an article you are writing for a newspaper or magazine. Do not use the interview for any purpose for which you have not been given permission