BYU Broadcasting: Keeping You Connected
Search BYU Broadcasting
Visit the BYU Broadcasting WebsiteVisit the BYU Television WebsiteVisit the BYU Radio WebsiteVisit the KBYU-TV WebsiteVisit the Classical 89 Website
Visit the BYU Television International Website
Site Map

Official Site of Brigham Young University

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:

  1. your most important achievements
  2. your biggest disappointments
  3. what you wish you had learned before it was too late
  4. what values and principles you consider most important
  5. 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 »

PRINT PAGE | SEND TO A FRIEND
FUNDING PROVIDED BY

FUNDING PROVIDED BY

FEATURED LINK