Before the Interview
Review your questions
Call again to confirm the interview time and place
At the Interview
Arrive on time
Choose a location that will have minimal noise and distractions
Don't interrupt of attempt to correct the person you are interviewing
After the Interview
Clean-up and leave things as you found them
Send a thank you note
Sample Interview Questions
Tell
me about... or What do you remember about...
- your early home life
- the home you raised in
- how it was heated and lighted
- how you got water/when you got indoor plumbing
- household chores
- your memories of your parents
- mother's work
- father's work
- how the family obtained food
- from the farm/garden
- from a general store (prices?)
- how the family did laundry
- first automatic washer
- washboards/clotheslines/soaps
- bathing/grooming
- Saturday night bath
- barbershops
- your clothing as a child
- long underwear/button shoes/hats
- different from today's fashions?
- school days
- how you got to school
- studies and homework
- discipline
- what you did for fun
- favorite games or sports
- favorite toys
- family entertainment at home
- musical instruments/favorite songs
- radio programs
- movie theatres
- prices
- favorite movies and film stars
- family outings/vacations
- amusement parks and swimming spots
- holidays/community celebrations
- picnics/camping
- road trips
- transportation
- horse and buggy/wagon
- first automobile/specific make, model,
color
- street cars and trolleys
- trains/ships
- excursions to the "city"
- favorite department stores/five and dime
stores
- favorite restaurants
- your dating, courtship, and marriage
- favorite dating/dancing spots
- popular music/dances
- World War I
- relatives who fought
- patriotic events
- life during the Roaring Twenties/Depression
- World War II
- where were you for Pearl Harbor/D-Day?
- effect on your family
- other historical people and events
- sinking of the Titanic
- assassination of JFK/Martin Luther King
- changes that have occurred during your lifetime
- technology
- roles of men and women
- family life
More
personal questions about the person's life should be asked only
if your objective calls for it (as in a family history) and
after a comfortable interviewing relationship has been established.
Such questions might include:
- your most important achievements
- your biggest disappointments
- what you wish you had learned before it was too late
- what values and principles you consider most important
- what advice you would give to future generations.
TIP: Try to anticipate when you're coming to the end of a tape.
If a tape ends in the middle of an answer, change the tape immediately,
then repeat the question so that the answer can be re-recorded
in its entirety.
Equipment Checklist
- interview
questions
- pencils
- notebook
paper
- audio
tape recorder
- audio
tapes
- video
camcorder
- video
tapes
- tripod
(if using camcorder)
- extension
cord
- three-hole
electrical adapter
- batteries
- address
of interview location
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
On to Step 4 - Preserving the Interview »
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