Crafting Engaging Oral History Interview Questions

Oral history interviews provide a unique opportunity to capture personal stories and preserve living memories. However conducting a successful interview requires thoughtful preparation and carefully crafted questions. In this article we’ll explore tips for developing open-ended, non-leading questions that elicit compelling dialogue.

What is Oral History?

Oral history collects firsthand remembrances of events and personal experiences through recorded interviews. This qualitative research method provides texture and nuance that official records often lack. Oral histories create primary sources for understanding social, cultural, and familial histories.

Why Conduct Oral History Interviews?

Oral history interviews serve several valuable purposes:

• Preserve diverse perspectives – Oral histories capture voices often excluded from traditional historical narratives. Interviewing people from different backgrounds ages, cultures etc. creates more inclusive accounts.

• Gain insights into the past – Oral histories provide intimate glimpses into historical eras through participants’ lived experiences. They add “color” to our understanding of the past.

• Build community connections – Oral history projects strengthen intergenerational bonds and cultivate empathy within communities Sharing stories connects people

• Create unique archives – Oral histories produce one-of-a-kind primary sources. They capture dialects, expressions, emotions, and stories that would otherwise be lost.

Best Practices for Crafting Interview Questions

The key to a successful oral history interview lies in asking thoughtful, open-ended questions. Follow these tips:

Tailor questions to the individual

• Research interviewees’ backgrounds, interests, and life events. Customize questions to their specific experiences.

Use open-ended phrasing

• Avoid “yes/no” questions. Begin questions with “tell me about,” “describe,” “explain,” etc.

Ask follow-up questions

• Use phrases like “could you elaborate on that?” or “what happened next?” to encourage detailed responses.

Cover key life chapters

• Ask about childhood, education, career, marriage, major life events, beliefs, values, etc.

Focus on feelings and impressions

• In addition to facts, ask how interviewees felt, reacted, perceived different experiences.

Allow flexibility

• Let conversations flow naturally. Follow topical threads that arise organically.

Request examples and anecdotes

• Stories and concrete examples bring interviews to life. Ask for them specifically.

Avoid leading questions

• Don’t impose assumptions. Allow interviewees to share their recollections freely.

Be sensitive to difficult topics

• Some memories may be painful. Never pressure interviewees to discuss traumatic events.

Conclude with reflections

• End by asking interviewees to reflect on their lives and what they shared.

Sample Oral History Interview Questions

Here are some sample questions to adapt for your own oral history interviews:

• What was your family and childhood like? What traditions did you grow up with?

• What are some of your fondest (or most vivid) memories from childhood?

• What schools did you attend? What were you involved with as a student?

• Did you have any mentors or influential teachers? How did they impact you?

• What was your young adult life like? Where did you live? What activities or hobbies did you enjoy?

• How did you meet your spouse/partner? What drew you to them?

• Tell me about your wedding. What memories stand out?

• What was it like when you first became a parent? How did you choose your child’s name(s)?

• What values were most important in raising your family? What did you try to teach your children?

• What was a typical family dinner like in your household? Did you have any unique family traditions?

• Where did you live as an adult? How did the neighborhood/community change over the years?

• What was your career path? How did you get started in your field?

• What were your professional roles and responsibilities? What did you find most rewarding or challenging about your work?

• What historical events had the biggest impact on you? Where were you when they happened?

• How did major events like the Great Depression or World War II affect your family?

• What has been the proudest moment of your life so far? Most difficult?

• How have your beliefs or values changed over your lifetime? What shaped or impacted those changes?

• Looking back, what advice would you give your younger self if you could?

• How do you want to be remembered by future generations?

Concluding Thoughts

Oral history interviews require empathy, active listening, and adapting on the fly. But thoughtful preparation and compelling questions will yield rich, meaningful conversations and preserve precious memories for posterity. What unique stories will you help uncover?