New Haven Oral History Project

Adapated very liberally from the Southern Oral History Program’s Guidebook

Preparation

1. Define the historical problem you wish to investigate.

2. Do extensive background research on your topic. An oral history interview is not a substitute for other forms of historical research. You can be a good interviewer only if you a thoroughly familiar with the topics you are discussing.

3. Identify interview subjects who can illuminate aspects that are absent from or obscured by other historical sources. Have a clear reason for why you are conducting an interview with this particular interviewee.

4. Coordinate with the Project Director to contact the interviewee, and seek his or her permission to conduct an interview. Describe the purpose of the interview, and explain that, as part of the New Haven Oral History Project, the interview will be deposited in the Yale Library for use by future students and researchers. Explain that the interviewee will have to sign a release form so that the interview can be made available to the public. During the conversation, emphasize the importance of preserving the interviewee’s story for future generations. At all times, show your respect for the interviewee.

5. Sketch a list of topics, themes, or specific questions you wish to discuss. You may wish to refer to this list during the interview, but it should not limit your flexibility.

6. Schedule the interview, and arrange for a quiet setting where you are not likely to be interrupted. Immediately reserve a recorder for your interview.

7. Organize the necessary release forms. Be sure you have directions to get to your interview.

8. Pick up your recorder on the morning of your interview from Calhoun 430. Before your interview, practice with the recording equipment. You do not want to be in the position of having to call your interviewee to say that, because you failed to use the equipment properly, the interview was not recorded well or at all. Be sure the recorder is charged, and that you have enough minidiscs or cassettes, etc.

The Interview

1. Arrive to the interview on time. In fact, arrive early and take a walk around the block.

2. Thank the interviewee again for agreeing to be interviewed. Remind the interviewee about the purpose of the interview, and that he or she will be signing a release form when you are finished.

3. Set up the recorder. Begin the recording with an opening statement: include the interviewee’s name, your name, the date, the location, and the topic you will be discussing.

4. At this point, double check that the recorder is recording properly. Also, check for background noise that may make the conversation difficult to hear: if there seems to be any problem, fix it now.

5. Begin with an easy, unobtrusive question that deals with a time before the central events you wish to explore. One excellent way to begin is to ask about the interviewee’s childhood.

6. You should seek a balance in which you allow interviewees to express the logic of their lives as they understand it, while at the same time maintaining a sense of the overall direction of the interview and framing questions so as to elicit information that pertains to your area of interest. Listen carefully. Do not be afraid of silence: allow the interviewee time to think, or to continue after a pause. Ask for elaboration when necessary. Take brief notes so you can ask relevant follow-up questions later, without interrupting the interviewee.

7. Avoid leading or biased questions, and avoid “yes or no” questions. Instead, ask open-ended questions that begin with “why, how, tell me about, describe,” etc. Ask one short, clear question at a time. Focus on information you cannot glean from other sources.

8. Seek concrete examples of attitudes and feelings. Focus on facts and events first, then explore feelings and values. You may need to stimulate the interviewee’s memory or clarify any chronological confusion by supplying facts from your background research. If you believe the interviewee’s story to be inaccurate, ask for more elaboration. That said, do not attempt to show off to the interviewee, or set out to prove him or her wrong. In the interview setting, the interviewee is the expert. You are there to listen and capture their side of the story. No one wants to hear you talk. Remember that good interviewers never shine – only their interviews do.

9. Within each topic, begin with broader questions and work your way down to more specific questions. Try to save more controversial topics for the end of the interview.

10. Don’t panic if the interviewee strays from your topic. The interviewee may lead you to an important topic or event you had never considered. If the digression has gone too far afield, gently steer the interviewee back to the topic with your next question.

11. Be respectful of the interviewee. Use body language to show that you are interested and engaged by what the interviewee is saying.

12. If an interviewee seems unwilling or unable to discuss a certain topic, try exploring it from a different angle. Don’t try to force the interviewee to talk about something he or she does not wish to discuss.

13. If it seems like you are hearing a well-practiced story, try to get the interviewee to break out of it by asking questions that cause the interviewee to re-remember the event, rather than simply rehearse a story. Do so by asking about specific details outside of their rehearsed description.

14. In most cases, the interview should not last longer than 90 minutes. Pay attention to signs that the interviewee is getting tired or distracted; if necessary, offer to take a short break or to return at another time.

15. Before leaving, be sure to having the interviewee complete and sign the release form. Leave them a copy of the form and its cover letter. Thank the interviewee again for his or her time and memories.

After the Interview

1. As soon as possible after the interview, complete all necessary paperwork.

2. Return the recording equipment during the designated times. Failing to return the equipment may result in someone else missing their interview, and you getting in big, big trouble. Also submit your minidiscs or cassettes, so that they can be dubbed onto CD and returned to you promptly.

3. Send a written thank you note to the interviewee.

4. Once you get your interview CD, transcribe it, making note of proper names you may have to double check.