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=== Know Your Equipment === | === Know Your Equipment === | ||
*Know your equipment well and make sure it is working that day. There is nothing more unnerving to your interviewee, than seeing you fumble with your machine trying to figure out why it is not working.<br><br> | *Know your equipment well and make sure it is working that day. There is nothing more unnerving to your interviewee, than seeing you fumble with your machine trying to figure out why it is not working.<br><br> | ||
*Have extra disks. Make sure you have extras batteries, if you will not have power available. <br><br> | *Have extra disks. Make sure you have extras batteries, if you will not have power available. <br><br> | ||
*Use headphones that plug into the recorder so you can to listen to see if the machine is receiving the voice of your interviewee. You will know extreme frustration, if you have had a wonderful interview and then find the machine was not recording correctly or the volume was so low that you can’t hear anything. | *Use headphones that plug into the recorder so you can to listen to see if the machine is receiving the voice of your interviewee. You will know extreme frustration, if you have had a wonderful interview and then find the machine was not recording correctly or the volume was so low that you can’t hear anything. | ||
=== Where To Record === | === Where To Record === | ||
*First of all, try to record in the person’s own home. They will feel much more at ease than in a recording studio.<br><br> | *First of all, try to record in the person’s own home. They will feel much more at ease than in a recording studio.<br><br> | ||
*Next, select a quiet room to record in. Keep away from the front of the house where the street is. Stay away from rooms where the TVs or a radio is playing. Keep away from the kitchen where appliances can come on at any time. Keep windows closed to keep out noises from the neighbors. <br><br> | *Next, select a quiet room to record in. Keep away from the front of the house where the street is. Stay away from rooms where the TVs or a radio is playing. Keep away from the kitchen where appliances can come on at any time. Keep windows closed to keep out noises from the neighbors. <br><br> | ||
*And have a couple of comfortable chairs facing each other to sit on. | *And have a couple of comfortable chairs facing each other to sit on. | ||
=== Start The Interview Right A Way === | === Start The Interview Right A Way === | ||
Set up your recording machine as soon as you arrive. Don’t engage in small talk before you turn on the machine. There may be some things in the small talk that should be recorded.<br>To start, put the person at ease by asking some opened ended questions like: <br> | Set up your recording machine as soon as you arrive. Don’t engage in small talk before you turn on the machine. There may be some things in the small talk that should be recorded.<br>To start, put the person at ease by asking some opened ended questions like: <br> | ||
*”How are you feeling today?” <br><br> | *”How are you feeling today?” <br><br> | ||
*” Have you been looking forward to this?” <br><br> | *” Have you been looking forward to this?” <br><br> | ||
*“Are you nervous?”<br><br> | *“Are you nervous?”<br><br> | ||
*”Do you have any questions before we start?”<br><br> | *”Do you have any questions before we start?”<br><br> | ||
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=== Be A Good Listener === | === Be A Good Listener === | ||
*Don’t talk or interrupt while the person is speaking. <br><br> | *Don’t talk or interrupt while the person is speaking. <br><br> | ||
*Don’t put words in their mouths. <br><br> | *Don’t put words in their mouths. <br><br> | ||
*Don’t finish their sentences for them either. <br><br> | *Don’t finish their sentences for them either. <br><br> | ||
*Let them speak until they have completed their thought before you go on to the next question. <br><br> | *Let them speak until they have completed their thought before you go on to the next question. <br><br> | ||
*Allow their personality to come through on the recording, it is just as valuable as anything they may say. <br><br> | *Allow their personality to come through on the recording, it is just as valuable as anything they may say. <br><br> | ||
*Might be valuable to take notes on items that you feel need more detail. | *Might be valuable to take notes on items that you feel need more detail. | ||
=== Think About The Next Question === | === Think About The Next Question === | ||
*In the interview, be flexible enough to think of additional questions as suggested by the answers the person is giving you. He or she may bring just touch on an event that you think should be gone into greater detail. <br><br> | *In the interview, be flexible enough to think of additional questions as suggested by the answers the person is giving you. He or she may bring just touch on an event that you think should be gone into greater detail. <br><br> | ||
*A good interviewer is a good listener and will be making sure that the answers are clear and complete. Again, they will be on the look out for answers that should be elaborated on. | *A good interviewer is a good listener and will be making sure that the answers are clear and complete. Again, they will be on the look out for answers that should be elaborated on. | ||
=== | === Wandering From the Topic === | ||
*If the interviewee starts to deviate from the topic, don’t worry to much about it. These wanderings sometimes yield more interesting material than the answer to the question at hand. <br><br> | *If the interviewee starts to deviate from the topic, don’t worry to much about it. These wanderings sometimes yield more interesting material than the answer to the question at hand. <br><br> | ||
*But, be sure to get back to the original question. | *But, be sure to get back to the original question. | ||
=== Controversies === | === Controversies === | ||
*If the person wants your reaction to what he is saying, especially if it is controversial, tell them you are here to interview them not exchange views. <br><br> | *If the person wants your reaction to what he is saying, especially if it is controversial, tell them you are here to interview them not exchange views. <br><br> | ||
*Its their personal views that the listener is interested in not yours, the interviewer. | *Its their personal views that the listener is interested in not yours, the interviewer. | ||
=== Don’t Try To Complete All Interviews In One Sitting === | === Don’t Try To Complete All Interviews In One Sitting === | ||
*I advise you to keep your interviews to no more than a couple of hours unless the person feels otherwise. People get tired after a while of talking.<br><br> | *I advise you to keep your interviews to no more than a couple of hours unless the person feels otherwise. People get tired after a while of talking.<br><br> | ||
*Plan on several sessions. | *Plan on several sessions. | ||
=== Editing Out The Interviewer === | === Editing Out The Interviewer === | ||
*Try to get the interviewee to use the question as part of the answer in order to be able to edit out the interviewer if wanted. For example, instead of the interviewee answering the question when they were born, with just the date, get them to say instead, “I was born on April 24, 1941.” <br><br> | *Try to get the interviewee to use the question as part of the answer in order to be able to edit out the interviewer if wanted. For example, instead of the interviewee answering the question when they were born, with just the date, get them to say instead, “I was born on April 24, 1941.” <br><br> | ||
*When you put these statements together, it does sounds like a continuous narrative. In this way, the voice of the interviewer can be edited out if they don’t want it in the recording. | *When you put these statements together, it does sounds like a continuous narrative. In this way, the voice of the interviewer can be edited out if they don’t want it in the recording. | ||
=== Get Help If Recording Yourself === | === Get Help If Recording Yourself === | ||
*Now, if you’ve decided to record your personal history and think that talking to yourself would feel a bit strange, you’re right. I tried it myself and I felt very self conscience even thought I enjoy intelligent conversation. You might, therefore, consider having someone interview you.<br><br> | *Now, if you’ve decided to record your personal history and think that talking to yourself would feel a bit strange, you’re right. I tried it myself and I felt very self conscience even thought I enjoy intelligent conversation. You might, therefore, consider having someone interview you.<br><br> | ||
*One advantage to doing this is if your answer seems unclear to them, they can ask for more information or at least have you say it in other words. If it is someone who knows you or the time period, they might think of things that you should included. | *One advantage to doing this is if your answer seems unclear to them, they can ask for more information or at least have you say it in other words. If it is someone who knows you or the time period, they might think of things that you should included. | ||
=== Check Out What Is Said If It Doesn’t Seem Right === | === Check Out What Is Said If It Doesn’t Seem Right === | ||
*If something said in the interview that did not sound right or maybe was no true, don’t be afraid to check it out with other people who may have been a witness to the events described.<br><br> | *If something said in the interview that did not sound right or maybe was no true, don’t be afraid to check it out with other people who may have been a witness to the events described.<br><br> | ||
*You may even have to check out official records such as wills, birth, etc. | *You may even have to check out official records such as wills, birth, etc. | ||
=== Transcribe The Interview === | === Transcribe The Interview === | ||
*Please consider transcribing the interview. The main reason is to give the interviewee a chance to see what he or she said in the interview and if they have second thoughts about anything they said. They may want you to take out things they feel are better left unsaid now that they have a chance to think about it. <br><br> | *Please consider transcribing the interview. The main reason is to give the interviewee a chance to see what he or she said in the interview and if they have second thoughts about anything they said. They may want you to take out things they feel are better left unsaid now that they have a chance to think about it. <br><br> | ||
*In addition, the transcription gives them a chance to see where they might want to enlarge on an event described. As I’ve mentioned before, the subconscious mind might come up with some more details. The person can decide if they want to included them or after reading what they said the first time, come to the conclusion the existing answer was good enough. <br><br> | *In addition, the transcription gives them a chance to see where they might want to enlarge on an event described. As I’ve mentioned before, the subconscious mind might come up with some more details. The person can decide if they want to included them or after reading what they said the first time, come to the conclusion the existing answer was good enough. <br><br> | ||
*Then there is the just the fact that here is something which is easier to review than a recording. Areas that need more details or explanation can be marked for additional research. This is hard to do on a recording. | *Then there is the just the fact that here is something which is easier to review than a recording. Areas that need more details or explanation can be marked for additional research. This is hard to do on a recording. | ||