Oral History Interview & Importance – Part 27
Additional Questions
Hamid Qazvini
Translated by Natalie Haghverdian
2017-10-31
Once the interview is complete, the oral history scholar shall review the content and identify any ambiguities and weaknesses. Accordingly, additional questions shall be designed and recorded to conduct a complementary interview. As the name suggests, a complementary interview is not an individually independent interview but an attempt to complete the original interview conducted.
At this stage, through studies and research of new information, more questions might emerge to the interviewer which shall be added to the previous questions.
How to design additional questions
Once the oral history scholar is satisfied with the response provided by the narrator, identification and design of additional questions are no longer needed. However, in some cases the interviewer claims that: “I got all the information the narrator had to provide; there is nothing more.” While later it is revealed that there is abundance of information untold.
This might be the result of false self-confidence or repetition of information or caused by lack of competence or weak IQ or creativity.
As we said before, oral history interviewer shall keep an open mind and benefit high IQ and sufficient creativity.
This is important for the interviewer to put themselves in the narrators’ shoes and assess the wealth of the content to address their needs (of today and tomorrow). Oral history scholar shall have a strong imagination to find ambiguities. Sometimes, it is conducive to submit the original content to other people with higher technical and interview expertise for assessment to identify the weaknesses and strengths and design additional questions.
For further induction on possible ambiguities and shortcomings of an interview, the following are to be considered:
- When the personal information and family status of the narrator is incomplete and no further details are provided. Particularly the elements which have been instrumental in shaping the narrator’s character.
- In some cases, the details of an incident are left out. For instance, the details pertaining arrests made by the SAVAK (intelligence service in the King’s time) or transfer to the prison or deployment to the war and the military training.
- The narrator might keep some information due to political, security, social, cultural or even family sensitivity.
- When the narrator has an analytical mind and most subjects are surrounded by analysis and memories have faded.
- The narrator fails to provide complete and precise details on individuals and locations and incidents.
- Due to time, the narrator is mistaken in recounting memories or there is a mix up.
- Some issues are of lower importance to the narrator which in their opinion shall not be addressed in details.
- Some issues are of lower importance to the interviewer and no effort is made to receive any responses.
- Claims which are information gathered from others and there is no direct witness usually have no details.
- In some cases the narrator (intentionally or otherwise) avoids defining the cause of a measure taken or an approach.
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 1 - Oral History, Path to Cultural Dialogue
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 2 - Characteristics of an Interviewer
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 3 - Selecting a Subject
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 4 - Narrator Identification & Selection
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 5 - Goal Setting
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 6 - Importance of Pre-interview Data Collection
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 7 - To Schedule & Coordinate an Interview
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 8 - Required Equipment & Accessories
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 9 - Presentation is vital
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 10 - Interview Room
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 11 - Pre-interview Justifications
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 12 - How to Start an Interview
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 13 - Proper Query
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 14 - Sample Query
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 15 - How to ask questions?
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 16 - Body Language
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 17 - Application of Body Language (1)
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 18 - Application of Body Language (2)
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 19 - Listening Carefully (1)
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 20 - Listening Carefully (2)
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 21 - New Questions
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 22 - Duration
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 23 - Arguments with the Narrator
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 24 - Mental Stimulation
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 25 - Ending the Interview
Oral History Interview & Importance Part 26 - Interview Report
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Some are of the view that oral history is useful because it is the words of people who have not been seen. It is meant by people who have not been seen, those who have not had any title or position. If we look at oral history from this point of view, it will be objected why the oral memories of famous people such as revolutionary leaders or war commanders are compiled.
