o Ultimately, this broad discussion will help the interviewee with the memory
process and allow them to settle on the story or stories they wish to share.
• Accessing the Memory Bank
o Opening the Memory Flood Gates can be overwhelming. A pre-interview
discussion allows this process to unfold comfortably and without the
pressure of being recorded.
o The interviewee may initially struggle with getting the sequence of events
in correct order. In these cases, be patient and let them work it out. The
last thing you want is for them to get frustrated. An oral history should be
an enjoyable process. Reassure them that there is no need for them to put
pressure on themselves—there is plenty of time to get things ironed out.
o Use memory aides to help with the process. Having them talk with friends
and family members, look at pictures, listen to music, and even read about
the time period of focus can all be useful tools in the recall process.
o Note – these memory aides can also be used by the interviewer for their
own research. The more the interviewer knows about the topic and time
period under discussion, the better prepared they will be in guiding the
interviewee during the oral history with follow up questions.
• Identifying Sensitive Areas
o Pre-interview discussions can also help identify sensitive topics to avoid. A
person’s memories are a mix of good times and bad. Hence, the recall
process can bring up traumatic events that they had buried and not
thought about for a long time.
o Such discussions will let the interviewee grapple with those memories and
the emotions they bring to the surface off camera. The discussions will
also allow you to make note of those sensitive areas and proceed
accordingly in your interview.
• Make an Outline for the Interview
o The pre-interview discussion will enable you to create an outline for the
interview. This outline is not a script, but more of a roadmap that charts
the areas of discussion.
o The interviewer should use the outline as their notes during the interview.
The outline can detail the sequence of events, the related topics to be
discussed, and even the follow up questions they wish to ask.
o The outline can also serve as an anchor for the discussion. It is not
uncommon for an interviewee to go “off course” and discuss a related
detail to the story they are telling. Here, the interviewer can let them go in
that direction and use the outline to bring them back to topic when they
are finished with the side story.
o The outline can include questions to help the interviewee share their story.
Have most of the questions be “open-ended” that prompt the story. These
are questions that typically start with “How”, “Why”, “Where”, or “What
Kind of…”
o Share the outline with the interviewee for them to review. This is part of
the collaborative process, allowing the interviewee to have a voice in what
will be discussed and asked in their oral history. Such transparency will