You are there to record someone elses experiences, not to talk about yourself. Make sure you record the interview for posterity and in case your daughter. Use of the oral history interview to assess communication. Oral history program california secretary of state. In ideal terms, oral history interviews infuse the past with new lifefrom the memories and mouths of living sources of history. The interviewee shouldnt feel compelled to complete the entire form, but only those parts of it that are applicable and relevant.
What are the most important lessons youve learned in life. There are three ways to view the names of the various oral history project participants. For instance, you could check ives, the taperecorded interview, neuenschwander, oral history and the law, or sitton et al. My name is erin anderson and im here with wendy wheelerin leicester and it is october 24th, 2006. Preparing for an oral history interview is perhaps the most important step in the oral history process. Oral history provides a fuller, more accurate picture of the past by augmenting the information provided by public records, statistical data, photographs, maps, letters, diaries, and other historical materials. Recording an oral history should be fun, not hard work. This manual includes tips on designing an oral history project. He remembers joining the national association for the advancement of colored people naacp, the differences in race relations between mobile and other southern cities, and helping to found the southern christian leadership conference sclc. Family history questions do you remember hearing your grandparents describe their lives.
It will help to understand the multifaceted dimensions and under currents of an event or situation. Transcribing and editing an oral history interview is a matter of personal style, but there are some important guidelines for basic transcript production. Oral history interview guidebook national heritage board. Russell, director santa barbara, california 931069010 805 8938215 oral history methodology, the art of interviewing oral history is as old as antiquity. Also consider holding mock interviews between students to practice interview skills and questioning before the actual interview occurs. The vietnam center and sam johnson vietnam archive. The semistructured interview process is a key tool in these methodologies. We are completing a citywide oral history of the lives of worcester. Regional oral history office 486 the bancroft library university of california berkeley, california 94720 the request should include information of the specific passages and identification of the user. Anderson, board of trustees professor of physics, emeritus and nobel laureate, begins with his recollections of his undergraduate years at caltech 19231927, and the influence of arthur amos noyes and ira sprague bowen. Make the narrator as relaxed as possiblehave him or her sit in a. Oral histories in the classroom oral history interviews have been widely recognized by many historians as a unique and distinctive technique by which to document the history of a specific individual, family, organization or group, community, timeperiod, or event. The same or similar questions may produce different answers because of the particular bond between an interviewer and an interviewee. Since that time the guide has been maintained solely as an online resource.
The handout titled oral history interview questions worksheet may help guide this process. This approach is in keeping with the belief that oral history is a brokered discipline which draws its. The literature about memory ranges across several academic disciplines and is daunting in size and scope. Oral history interviews began in the summer of 1997, and since that time more than 1001 individuals have participated in the nasa oral history projects in more than 1,299 oral history sessions. Use a question list as a guide, but its ok if the conversation leads your daughter to ask questions not on the list, or her grandparents to tell stories not related to a particular question. A transcript of an oral history interview is, in the words of one style guide, at best an imperfect representation of an oral interview. Preparation encompasses the practice of interviewing to include familiarization with the equipment to be used and learning the methodology of oral history, selecting individuals to be interviewed, setting the stage for interviews, acquiring the knowledge necessary to conduct an. While this book prioritizes the documentation of folklife, by which we mean traditional culture and heritage, the guidelines offered here for interview. Conducting an oral history offers students an opportunity to.
Whether conducting their own research or developing an institutional project, first time interviewers and others involved in oral history projects should seek training to prepare themselves for all stages of the oral history process. The oral history interview is a part of the gottman couples therapy method. An explanation of the steps involved in doing oral. Regardless of the type of interview to be conducted, preparation is the key to a successful oral history interview.
Attorneys office, and running for congress against barry goldwater. Honorable stanley mosk oral history interview, conducted 1998 by germaine. Herodotus, if you recall, set down many of his stories from accounts he heard an his travels. Greene discusses his family and early life, career, and move to california. Use of the oral history interview to assess communication and marital satisfaction in laterlife couples daniel james harkness iowa state university follow this and additional works at. Below are some sample topics and questions that you can use when you record oral histories. Oral history workshop page 3 but it can easily be adapted for use in anything from a single interview to a research project involving a number of subjects. Immigration oral history assignment guiding questions for oral history interview oral history. Guidelines for oral history interviews the history channel student. As indicated above, in general, a life history interview should proceed chronologically. A release usually includes the interviewees name and signature, the interviewers name, the date, a statement of permission to use the interview, the name of the person or.
Joseph lowery recalls his position as pastor at the warren street church in mobile, alabama, in the 1950s. Oral history office attachment iii oral history interview tips 1. Looking at old family photos may spark her grandparents memories, too. July 16, 2012 mountain view, california chm reference number. Barbara smith, interview by loretta ross, transcript of video recording, may 7, 2003, voices of feminism oral history project, sophia smith collection, pp. At the heart of every oral history encounter stands an interview with. The oral history book is a oneonone interview with representative sommers. Oral history interview questions worksheet oral history is an interview that records a persons recollection of experiences, thoughts, and feelings about a specific event or a period of time. What is your full name and why were you named this. Sample questions to conduct an oral history interview. The focus should be on the interviewee and they should do most of the talking, with occasional questions from you to guide the interview in directions you think are the most productive. Expansiveness, or how expressive each partner was during the interview. History too often seems like the study of long lists of names, events and dates.
Jan 31, 2020 oral history interviews began in the summer of 1997, and since that time more than 1001 individuals have participated in the nasa oral history projects in more than 1,299 oral history sessions. At the time of the interview, be sure to explain again why you are interviewing this person. Download sample questions to conduct an oral history interview. A variety of other circumstances also can affect the interview the setting, a personal difficulty, the weather. The transcribers most important task is to render as close a replica to the actual event as possible. Guidelines for oral history interviews the history channel student workbook adapted from michael gatto why do some students hate to study history. You can schedule another session at a later date if you want to continue recording the oral history. This booklet presents some guidelines smithsonian folklorists have developed over the years for collecting folklife and oral history from family and community members. Joseph echols lowery oral history interview conducted by. By showing how national or international events affected the lives of individuals, oral history adds a personal dimension to the study of the past. Great interview questions tell your story with evalogue. In this interview, wendy also touches on her experiences as a young working mother and the changes that she witnessed in the main south neighborhood over the years. It was created to provide clinicians with a tool which explores the history and the philosophy of the couples relationship. Italics indicate portions that require editing, but there may be other statements that do not apply, or need to be edited.
The interviews are also searchable via the oral history section of the fhs research portal, which. Why oral history is important it is a good idea to go into an interview with a few questions prepared, and especially highlight any that you want to make sure you ask. Family history questions for kids to ask grandparents. It features a general guide to conducting an interview, as well as a sample list of questions that may be adapted to your own needs and circumstances. This wideranging 1979 interview in eight sessions with carl d. However, often an ice breaker and a wellchosen question here and there will keep the conversation going. Interview can also be conducted on a single event or a particular theme. This oral history is based on a series of about 25 hours of interview sessions with representative helen sommers on her 36year career representing the 36th legislative district in seattle from 19732009.
Sample oral history consent form carefully edit for your individual project. Picking an interview topic first, you must decide upon some event or period of history. Each hour of recorded interview requires an average of forty hours of preparation and processing. Preparation encompasses the practice of interviewing to include familiarization with the equipment to be used and learning the methodology of oral history, selecting individuals to be interviewed, setting the stage for interviews, acquiring the. Clauser in may 20, while the remainder was transcribed by wendy l. The focus should be on the interviewee and they should do most of the talking, with occasional questions from you to guide them in directions you think are the most productive. Anyone from any country is welcome to participate in the oral history project. The whole point of the interview is to make sure the narrator tells his or her own story. Weness versus separateness, or how much the spouses saw themselves as part of a team as opposed to emphasizing their independence. Sample questions to conduct an oral history interview please tell me your name, your birthdate, our relationship, and where we are. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows. Allow students three to four hours of class time and seven to eight hours of homework time to conduct and write up the oral history. Interview summaries, g california secretary of state. These interview information are basing on the experiences in the form of a testimony of a particular person or group of people.
Oral history helps round out the story of the past. In 1976 the forest history society published barbara d. He discusses his time in a law practice and his developing interest in politics. As a potential participant in the sam johnson vietnam archive oral history project, you may be curious about what is involved with being interviewed.
Remember that for an oral history, the person whom you are interviewing must have lived through that event or time period and must be able to recall details and. In addition to the workshops that we offer to community groups, we are happy to provide this manual as a resource and guide to oral history interviewing. Students can also ask the interviewee if they have any letters, photographs, or objects. Oral history interview guidelines vii to different interviewers. Preface this oral history is based on a series of about 25 hours of interview sessions with representative helen sommers on her 36year career representing the 36th legislative district in seattle from 19732009. The following is a brief synopsis of the steps and procedures involved in the interview process. Assessment in couples therapy the gottman oral history. This article also considers approaches to memory and remembering, which can enhance oral.
Who is the oldest person you can remember in your family from when you were a child. Gender stereotypes, or how much like traditional men and women the spouses were in their emotional expressions and responses. An oral history interview release form contains information that are released from the person who are connected historically or at least have such information regarding the past events. Margaret mead, american cultural anthropologist the significance of oral history rests with its potential to offer new knowledge, perspectives, and interpretations of the past. In general, a chronological organization is usually the best structure for an oral history interview. A third approach is concerned with recording oral history interviews with family members about aspects of their lives and memories of other relatives and important events in the familys history. This article focuses on the importance of memory and remembering in oral history. Holmans descriptive guide to the societys oral history interview collection. Smithsonian folklife and oral history interview guide introduction in the presence of grandparent and grandchild, past and future merge in the present. Here are a series of questions that you can use when interviewing a family member. Discovering oral history 1 oral history is a sound recording of historical information, obtained through an interview that preserves a persons life history or eyewitness account of a past experiencebut read on.
Recording oral histories can be a very effective way of capturing information that is difficult to obtain by any other means. Heilbron, oral history interview, conducted 1991 and 1992 by carole hicke, regional oral history office, university of california at berkeley, for the california state archives state government oral history program. He talks about establishing a consulting engineers firm, then closing it and running for the assembly. Part of thefamily, life course, and society commons,gerontology commons, and thesocial psychology commons. Guide to oral history interviews forest history society. Adams lightly edited the transcript from 2015 to 2016. Do you want to conduct an oral history interview yourself or participate in a larger oral history project. Some oral historians instruct their transcribers to record the interview word for word, while others allow for greater latitude.
An oral history primer the nebraska state historical societys collections contain hundreds of oral history interviews, some conducted by society staff over the years. An oral interview release from states that the person is granting the company and the authorized personnel of the rights and permission to use the materials from the oral history interviews conducted. My second sister, louise, was a bit younger than ruth. The oral history interview is a semistructured interview conducted in the couples home, in which the interviewer asks a set of openended. Feb 18, 20 expansiveness, or how expressive each partner was during the interview.
Memory is not a passive depository of facts, but an active process of creation of meanings. The smithsonian folklife and oral history interviewing guide. Mar 06, 2020 preparing for an oral history interview is perhaps the most important step in the oral history process. Students seldom get the chance to act as historians who record and interpret history for themselves and for others. Oral history biographical sketch filling out this form before the interview may help the interviewer ask more appropriate and interesting questions. Preparing for an oral history interview involves five basic steps. The release form also states that the information or materials could be reproduce, edited, published, republished for any purposes such as. Memory and remembering in oral history oxford handbooks. Oral history project guidelines minnesota historical society. Adams, ihss director of oral history as of april 2014, in 2014.
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