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Tips on Effective
Interviewing Techniques in your Genealogy Search
One of the most difficult parts about genealogy
research can be interviewing family members to get their oral
histories of the family. Not only is it immensely difficult for
you, it can also be very hard on your subjects as well. Instead of
simply quitting the interview process, which is what most amateur
genealogists do, simply try these tips to increase your interview
effectiveness.
First, consider the kinds of questions you are asking in your
interviews. Most people consider the standard journalism questions
the appropriate question types to ask. Questions like "who,
what, when, where, how, and why" are the kinds of questions
most people throw at their interviewees. People hate to answer
questions like "Where were you born?" People love to
answer questions like "What was your wedding like?"
Those description questions will help your interview subjects to
open up about their lives and tell you everything you need to
know. None of them require a simple yes or no answer. All of these
kinds of questions will require a thoughtful response that will be
a wealth of information for your research. Moreover, it will give
you a much richer view of your family research.
When you get ready to arrange an interview, ask yourself what the
purpose of your interview is. What kind of information are you
attempting to discover? What kinds of things do you need to know
before the interview closes? More importantly, you must decide if
you are doing simply a facts based interview, or something a
little more important. If you are just trying to complete a family
tree or a family map, you may only want the facts. If, though, you
are trying to compile a family history, a more in-depth interview
may be required.
Prepare your questions in advance. This can help you be a guide
instead of an interrogator in the interview process. Having a
prepared list can help you know both what information your subject
is offering is valid and important to your research. If your
subject veers off track, you can gently steer them back to where
you need them without getting caught in the moment of their story.
However, you might be prepared to leave your list if your subject
is offering you information on another topic you hadn't considered
Once you sit down with your interviewee, it is
important to put them at ease. The more nervous the two of you are
with the process as a whole, the less valuable information you are
likely to get. Start by letting them know that these are their
memories, and you do not or never will own them. Remind them that
they will have the right to look at any information you compile,
and that they will have the right to make changes to their part of
the information as they deem necessary. You should also help ease
their minds by telling your interviewee that they have the right
to not answer questions as they see fit. If a question you ask is
simply too personal, let them know that they can choose not to
answer that question. Not everyone will want every piece of
information about their lives to be known, and it can help someone
who is being interviewed if they know they have a choice about the
questions you are asking.
Any good interview should have a strict time limit. One to two
hours is best for most people. If you are interviewing an older
individual, you may want to further limit your time. The time
limits may also have to be adjusted for those with medical
problems. Talking for an extensive amount of time about personal
background and history can be a bit taxing to the brain, and it is
important to give your subjects time to think and recuperate
before you start again.
Be sure to be a good interviewer in all respects. Once you ask a
question, listen to the whole answer without interruption.
Remember that older subjects tend to pause more than younger
subjects and interrupting an individual during that pause can
force them to lose their train of thought, which may have been
important information for you.
Oral histories are essential for genealogy research, and asking
the right kinds of questions and displaying the right kinds of
interview behaviour can be helpful to that process.
About the Authors
Paul Duxbury and Kevin Cook own
www.amateur-genealogist.com and www.our-family-trees.co.uk two of
the leading Genealogy Websites. In addition Paul owns a wide
range of exciting websites which can be viewed at
www.paulduxbury.com
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