Oral history interview

ORAL HISTORY is a primary source - a recorded interview with someone who lived through events and can tell you what really happened from their own memory. A textbook tells you a war ended in a certain year; an oral history tells you what the kitchen smelled like the day the news arrived. In this project lesson you will learn the six-step process to plan, record, transcribe, and share an oral history interview, and the ethics rules that protect the people who trust you with their stories.

What an oral history actually is

An oral history is not the same as a casual chat. It is a PLANNED, RECORDED interview where the questions are written ahead, the recording is saved, and the words are later TRANSCRIBED (written down). Because the speaker lived through the events, the recording becomes a PRIMARY SOURCE that other researchers can use - sometimes for decades. Done well, oral history captures voices, accents, pauses, and feelings that no textbook can preserve.

• PLANNED - questions are written before the interview, not made up on the spot.
• RECORDED - audio or video, kept safely so the words can be checked later.
• PRIMARY - the speaker lived through what they describe; this is first-hand evidence.
• TRANSCRIBED - the recording is later turned into written text for readers.
• PRESERVED - good oral histories are kept by libraries, museums, or families for years.

The 6 steps of an oral history interview

Oral history interviews follow six steps in order. Step 1: PREPARE - research the topic and write 8-10 open questions. Step 2: ASK PERMISSION - get a signed consent form and a parent OK if you are a kid. Step 3: RECORD - audio or video, in a quiet room, with a backup if possible. Step 4: LISTEN - do not interrupt; nod, wait, ask follow-ups when the speaker finishes. Step 5: TRANSCRIBE - write down what they said, word for word. Step 6: THANK and SHARE - thank the speaker and let them review the transcript before it goes public.

1. PREPARE - research the topic and write 8-10 open questions before you meet.
2. ASK PERMISSION - signed consent form, parent OK if you are a kid.
3. RECORD - audio or video in a quiet room, with a backup if possible.
4. LISTEN - do not interrupt; ask follow-up questions only after they finish.
5. TRANSCRIBE - write down what they said, word for word, after the interview.
6. THANK and SHARE - thank the speaker; let them review the transcript first.

Open questions vs closed questions

OPEN QUESTIONS get long, real answers because they cannot be answered with yes or no. They start with phrases like "Tell me about...", "What was it like when...", or "How did you feel about...". CLOSED QUESTIONS - "Did you like your first job?" - get one-word answers and a dead conversation. A good interview has mostly open questions, then quick closed questions only when you need a specific fact (a date, a place name). Aim for 8-10 open questions per session.

• OPEN - "Tell me about the day you arrived in this country."
• OPEN - "What was it like growing up back then?"
• OPEN - "How did you feel about leaving your old town?"
• CLOSED - "Did you like your first job?" - gets only yes or no.
• CLOSED - "Were you born in 1955?" - useful for one fact, then move on.

Ethics: consent, anonymity, honest editing

Oral history is powerful, which means three ethics rules are non-negotiable. First, GET CONSENT - a signed form (or parent signature for a minor speaker) before recording, and again before sharing. Second, ANONYMIZE SENSITIVE INFO - if the speaker shares something private (a name, an illness, an address), remove it or use initials before sharing. Third, NEVER EDIT TO MISREPRESENT - you may trim "ums" and pauses, but you must never cut or rearrange words to make the speaker say something they did not mean.

• CONSENT - signed form before recording AND a second OK before publishing.
• ANONYMIZE - remove names, addresses, or details the speaker wants kept private.
• HONEST EDITING - you may trim filler; you may NOT change meaning or order.
• REVIEW - send the transcript back to the speaker before it goes public.
• STORE SAFELY - keep recordings in a private folder, not on a public website by default.