Oral History Resources

What is Oral History? Oral history is the collection and recording of personal memoirs as historical documentation Oral history collects the human experience

Oral History tells a particular point of view, and there is usually more than one. The reason there are referees at games is because sometimes each side is sure they know what happened but the referee has to decide for certain. Sometimes they even have to play the video footage back before they decide. In the photo on the left, there are fans, watching the game, cheerleaders talking to the fans….. They each have a different idea of what is happening from each other and from the players. Everyone sees something different and interprets it differently.

Memory in the classroom: Telephone Game Stage a confrontation Have your students play telephone and learn how quickly what you think you hear can be turned into something else. Sometimes we remember or hear things differently from when they happened, especially if it was a long time ago. What do you remember about your first day of school? In 1st grade? Stage something dramatic, maybe ask another teacher or student to help. Have all of the students write down what they saw happened. Tell them it wasn’t real and have them read their stories out loud. Are they all the same? Are they different?

Oral History is NOT the best method for facts and data or specific dates.

Before the Interview

What do I want to know?

RESEARCH!!!!! Because oral history is not the best method for facts and data, RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! Learn as much as you can before you meet with the person you are interviewing. You do not want to go in without knowing what they are talking about. Background knowledge gives them the ability to get to the root of the story. The interviewee won’t remember the exact time or recordable facts. They will remember what they saw, heard, touched, and felt. You also want to show them that you know what you are talking about and they will appreciate that. Get your research together before you visit with them.

How do I prepare? What questions would I like to know the answer to? Create an outline with the topics you want to cover during the interview. Find out what the historical context and significance is around the topic you research. Gather bio information on the person you will be interviewing. Check the Research Toolkit.

Deciding who to interview Once you have done the research, you will have an idea of what points of view you are looking for and who might be able to help with the story. What do you want to know and who might have those answers? Call people, ask basic broad questions based on your research to see if they know about the topic and if they would be willing to talk about it or what parts of the story they might be open to sharing with you.

Where do I find someone? Ask around. Parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, community centers, community organizations, senior centers, local newspapers….

More Research! What do you know about this person? Research the interviewee. Based on your research about the project and about them, what part of your research will they be able to share their personal stories about?

Open-ended Questions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWSHM26N97k What is the difference in open-ended questions and closed-ended questions? Develop open-ended questions to serve as a guide for the interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWSHM26N97k

Know how to use your equipment! Become an expert on your equipment before the interview. Ask questions. Test it out. CHANGE YOUR BATTERIES, bring extra power cords. Always be prepared, technology is difficult. If you use your phone, silence it. Make sure texts and calls aren’t vibrating they are SILENCED>the recording app might pick up the noise of the vibrations of the phone on the table etc. Make sure you know what files the sound or video will come in and how to store it on your computer. Make sure it is compatible. Test it all out before.

Choose a location Choose a quiet location where you are not likely to be interrupted. Is the interviewee willing to allow you over to their house in case they have photos or other items to show you? Does your school, local library, or community center have a space you can borrow for free? Can you test the recording device before the planned meeting to make sure there isn’t an echo or a loud AC unit?

Confirm the Interview Make sure parents are aware of what is going on. Make sure you have transportation. Confirm the date, time, and location with the interviewee by either email or phone. If possible, send the interviewee a list of potential questions or a list of topic you would like to discuss in advance so they feel comfortable. Ask the interviewee to bring any photographs, artifacts, or items that could possibly be used for your project.

The Interview

Before you begin Print release forms and bring pens Have the interviewee sign the release form Test the equipment with the interviewee and make adjustments (are they soft spoken?) SILENCE or turn OFF your phones

During the Interview

The formality. State the date, time location, name of interviewee and interviewer. How to spell their name. If someone finds this in 100 years what are the basics they need to know? Start off easy. Something simple to break the ice and get them talking. Comfortable silence. Sometimes we need to sit in silence and think about what happened. Stay quiet and give them time to be silent if they need to. Allow them to relive emotions if they need to. Don’t talk over the interviewee. The focus is on them. Ask thoughtful and clarifying follow up questions. Ask for examples. Have a notepad and jot down notes and questions. You don’t want to interrupt but you can ask when they finish talking. Keep your personal opinions out of the interview. Don’t correct the interviewee. Let them talk and research after if you aren’t sure about something they said.

Ending the interview Don’t turn off the recorder right away. You will be surprised what they say after the “official” end. Let the interviewee know when you do turn off the recording device. Ask the interviewee if they have any images or artifacts they can share with you. THANK THEM for their time and participation.

After the Interview

Data Type up and save any notes from the interview Transfer audio/video files to a computer and save backups NEVER EDIT THE ORIGINAL, edit copies Save any photographs, artifacts, permission forms You are preserving this. You never know who might see it in the future.

Ending the interview Transcribing the entire recording is NOT required, but may be a good for pulling quotes, searching, and safekeeping. We have resources for formal transcribing that we can share.

Follow up Send a thank you note Send them a copy for their records If there is an event, invite them What did you learn? Stories Yes: https://museumonmainstreet.org/stories

The end!