Website: Oral History Guide: Tips

Basic Tips

10 Tips for Interviewers

1. Choose a quiet locale and properly position your microphones and/or video cameras.

2. Ask one question at a time. State your questions as directly as possible.

3. Ask open-ended questions—questions that begin with “why, how, where, what kind of,” etc.

4. Start with non-controversial questions. One good place to begin, for instance, is with the narrator’s childhood, or where they grew up and have them describe it.

5. Understand that periods of silence will occur. These are useful periods of reflection and recollection for your narrator.

6. Avoid interrupting the narrator.

7. If the narrator strays away from the topic in which you are interested, don’t panic. Sometimes the best parts of the interview come about this way. If you feel the digression has gone too far afield, gently steer the narrator back to the topic with your next question.

8. Be respectful of the narrator. Use body language to show you are interested in what he or she has to say. Remember, the narrator is giving you the gift of his or her memories and experiences.

9. After the interview, thank the narrator for sharing his or her experiences. Also send a written thank-you note.

10. Don’t use the interview to show off your knowledge, charm, or other attributes.

-from A Practical Guide to Oral History

Oral History Organizations

American Folklore Society
"The American Folklore Society (AFS) serves the field of folklore studies, comprised of people and institutions that study and communicate knowledge about folklore throughout the world. Members of three groups made common cause by creating the AFS in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1888: scholars in then-developing humanities departments at colleges and universities, museum anthropologists, and private citizens with an interest in the subject. Today, the Society produces publications, meetings, and both print and web resources to support our members’ work to study, understand, and communicate about folklore, and to help them build professional and social networks inside and outside our field."
International Oral History Association
"The International Oral History Association (IOHA) is a professional association established to provide a forum for oral historians around the world, and a means for cooperation among those concerned with the documentation of human experience. IOHA seeks to stimulate research that uses the techniques of oral history and to promote the development of standards and principles for individuals, institutions and agencies (both public and private) who have the responsibility for the collection and preservation of historical information gathered through the techniques of oral histories, in all forms. Through international conferences, collaborative networks, and support for national oral history organizations, IOHA seeks to foster a better understanding of the democratic nature and value of oral history worldwide."
Oral History Association
"Since 1966, the Oral History Association (OHA) has served as the principal membership organization for people committed to the value of oral history. OHA engages with policy makers, educators, and others to help foster best practices and encourage support for oral history and oral historians. With an international membership, OHA serves a broad and diverse audience including teachers, students, community historians, archivists, librarians, and filmmakers."

Self-Care

Oral history interviews can contain delight, history, trauma or all three. You should be prepared beforehand and practice self-care afterwards. If you need to speak to someone, contact Student Health and Counseling, located on the first floor of Sutcliffe Hall: 859.238.5530

Incorporating Self-Care into Oral History Work
How and Why Self-Care is a Critical Component to Successful Research
Hug Your Plant! and Other Self-Care for Oral Historians in Lockdown
Ted Kerr’s wise words inspired OHMA student Eleonora Anedda to reflect on the responsibilities of oral historians in times of crisis. Not so much on their duty towards others, but their obligations towards themselves. This piece will examine much needed self care habits that can be incorporated in our lockdown routines.

Oral History Guides

American Folk Life Center Oral History Interviews
Outlines how to set up an oral history project and gives interview tips.
Creating Oral Histories Genealogy
Although geared to family history, there are a number of good general suggestions.
Oral History in the Digital Age Wiki
A source for best practices when doing digital oral history.

A Practical Guide to Oral Histories
A guide to doing oral histories by the Southern Oral History Program.

Practicing your questions beforehand will help to produce a clear and polished interview.