Conducting Oral History Interviews

Hannah Byrne, a historian at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, guides viewers through the process of conducting oral history interviews at home. She explains the significance of oral history and provides a five-step guide: inviting participants, preparing for the interview, active listening, recording the interview, and post-interview actions. The tutorial emphasizes the importance of preserving personal histories and offers practical tips for each step, including using smartphone apps for recording and sharing the interviews.

What is the primary purpose of conducting oral history interviews?

• To create fictional stories

• To preserve voices and memories

• To entertain the interviewer

• To practice public speaking

What is the first step in conducting an oral history interview?

• Ask someone to participate

• Choose a location

• Start recording immediately

• Prepare a list of questions

Why is it important to prepare an introduction for the interview?

• To make the interview longer

• To avoid asking questions

• To provide context for future listeners

• To impress the interviewee

Why is it important to ask for permission to record the interview?

• To avoid asking questions

• To fill time

• To ensure legal compliance

• To make the interviewee feel uncomfortable

What is a good opening question for an oral history interview?

• Tell me about where you're from

• Do you like music?

• What is your job?

• What is your favorite color?

What should you do if you want to know more about a topic during the interview?

• Ignore the topic

• End the interview

• Ask follow-up questions

• Move to the next question

What is a key aspect of being an active listener?

• Interrupting frequently

• Listening carefully and asking follow-up questions

• Taking notes silently

• Avoiding eye contact

Which tool is commonly used to record oral history interviews today?

• Tape recorder

• Typewriter

• Smartphone voice memo app

• Video camera

What should you do after finishing the interview recording?

• Send it to your email and save it

• Edit it immediately

• Delete the recording

• Forget about it

What is the final step after recording an oral history interview?

• Edit the recording

• Start a new interview

• Thank the interviewee and share the recording

• Delete the recording