Experts Answer to Oral History Questions

100 Questions/ 31

Where is the line between interview management and narrative freedom?

Translated by Mandana Karimi

2026-5-25

We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week. The goal of this project is to open new doors to an issue and promote scientific discussions in the field of oral history.

In this project, a question is asked every Saturday, and we ask experts to present their views in the form of a short text (about 100 words) by the end of the week. All answers will be published together so that the audience can compare and analyze the views.

The content is the opinions of the senders and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Oral History website. Although the answers are supposed to be based on about 100 words, in order to be polite and not to leave the discussion incomplete, in some cases, answers longer than that are also accepted.

The experts are asked to submit their answers by Sunday night so that all answers can be published on Tuesday.

From the interweaving of these responses, using AI, we have arrived at theories about oral history that will be published in the near future.

Question 31

Where is the line between interview management and narrative freedom?

Answers to Question 31:

Gholamreza Azari Khakestar

Interview management means that the interviewer guides the interview by asking targeted questions. They manage it whenever the interviewee starts to ramble. Of course, some interviewers are in favor of open and unrestricted interviews. They allow everything the narrator narrates to be recorded without any interruptions. It seems that they often come to a conclusion in the first few sessions about what method to adopt for interview management; either by asking numerous questions, they determine the direction and purpose of the interview or they allow the narrators to tell the story as they wish. Therefore, a good result is achieved at the stage when the interviewee tells the story without restrictions. In general, the boundary between interview management and narrative freedom goes back to the conditions and rules of oral history projects. Sometimes an important narrative is told and the interviewer records everything that is said without any pauses, and sometimes with the guidance of the interview, although there are pauses, if the structure and context of the narrative are not changed, the interview management has been formed in a way. Usually in thematic oral history projects, the interview management has the first say, but in person-centered interviews, there is more freedom of action.

Hassan Beheshtipour

I think it would be easier to answer if the question were posed this way; where is the line between interview management and the narrator's freedom to express their memories in oral history?
Oral history is the product of a conversation between two or more informed people. An interviewer who has done prior research and is familiar with the narrator's background, and a committed narrator who wants to tell their memories honestly and without exaggeration. The line between interview management and narrative freedom, in practice, is tied to three factors: both parties' awareness of scientific principles, adherence to them in practice, and flexibility to advance the work of compiling history.
For example, a professional interviewer knows where to enter into a discussion and where to remain silent so that the thread of the conversation is not broken. They never take a position and don’t turn personal curiosity into an interrogation. Rather, they ask appropriate questions to resolve ambiguity and clarify details.
The narrator should also not be a prisoner of direct or indirect suggestions. They are committed to telling the story as it happened, not as the interviewer wants it to be. It is their duty to avoid rambling and sidetracking.
It is only by observing these two-way principles that “management” does not turn into guidance and “freedom” does not turn into chaos. The real boundary is, indeed, the commitment to ethics and the observance of the scientific method of oral history.

Mohammad Mehdi Abdollahzadeh

The statement that "interview is the heart of oral history" is not an exaggeration, but rather it expresses the importance of the interview. An interview achieves its goals when the interviewer manages its sessions intelligently, and this is achievable when the interviewer has the necessary cognitive, emotional, and psychomotor competencies and even outwardly observes social values. Such an interviewer pays attention to the goals of the interview and guides the interview by asking open-ended questions with answers that they have thought of in advance, and cleverly prevent the interviewee from rambling. They also ask questions to remove ambiguity. On the other hand, they follow up on the answers with patience and accuracy so that the interviewee can freely express their experiences, feelings, and content.

Gholamreza Azizi

Since the post-World War II era, at least two main approaches to oral history can be distinguished: the modern approach (as opposed to the historiographical background before Alan Nevins) and the postmodern approach.
Interview management is related to the modern approach. In this approach, any deviation from the interview path is considered a deviation, and therefore interviewers are advised to try to subtly keep the interviewee from the interview path and, when they explain various topics, to guide them to the “right” path (the path based on the project’s goals).
Freedom of narrative is pursued in the postmodern approach (which is based on a hermeneutic perspective). In the postmodern approach, not only is every answer important, but also the words that the interviewees choose are important, even if they are swear words.

Hamid Ghazvini

The interviewer should try to keep the interview time within the framework of the designated topic and in response to the intended questions, and avoid entering into unnecessary topics and sidelines. This work, called interview management, will not conflict with the freedom of narration. That is, the narrator, once they have agreed to be interviewed on the designated topic, should not be pressured or restricted about what to say or not to say. They have the right to provide the interviewer with whatever they have seen or understood based on their own judgment. Basically, a narrative becomes valid when it is formed freely and with complete discretion.

Seyyed Mohammad Sadegh Feyz

In the interview, the narrator should be given the opportunity to leave no point unsaid, and they should not be prevented from recounting their memories at critical moments; but the interviewer should also be careful that the narrator does not go astray and recount unrelated memories due to forgetfulness or other factors, including to avoid answering. The volume of the interview can be reduced during the editing process. However, the narrator should be free to narrate the details of their memories and their titles, and they cannot be pressured or interrogated in any way for a specific narration.

Shafigheh Nikanfs

An oral history interview is a research interview centered on a specific question. During the research and during the interview, the researcher is actively searching for questions that will bring them closer to the goals of the project. They give the narrator the opportunity to look at themselves and their past, to explore within themselves, to express their feelings, and to go beyond simply expressing linear narratives (based on the history of events). Sometimes the narrator must have enough time to explain and clarify their meaning. The interview should not be constrained by absolute devotion to the questions and the framework of the project. The narrator must have the freedom to act in expressing their memories, and the interviewer must be able to balance the goals of the project with the need for the narrator's freedom of action. On the other hand, the narrator has the freedom to choose and present their memories and mental reserves, and is free to express their memories based on their wishes. The interviewer and project managers are obligated to respect their privacy.

Abolfazl Hassanabadi

One of the constant concerns of interviewers is to maintain a balance in interview management; in such a way that the required information can be obtained within the defined framework of the objectives and the freedom of the narrator to tell his story is not compromised. Perhaps this can be achieved by properly managing the interview, including guiding the flow of the conversation, asking targeted questions, respecting the time, and respecting the interviewee's right to express their views without distortion or censorship. Of course, all of this requires the interviewer to be knowledgeable about the subject, along with being supportive and empathetic to the narrator.

Jaafar Golshan Roghani

It seems that the interviewer's interference in the interviewee's speech has been interpreted by some as interview management. While it is more accurate to say that interview management has different methods and types depending on the type of oral history interview, the subject, and the interviewee. Each of these variables can affect the way the interview is managed. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a single and specific version for the manner and definition of interview management. However, in general, interview management can be considered as: "the intelligent, purposeful, and informed guidance of the interviewee by the interviewer so that the greatest, most accurate, and purest volume of memories flows through the narrator's tongue." If we accept this definition, then the relationship and boundary between them can be operationalized in practice and while doing the work. That is, as long as the interviewer does not deviate from the path of reminiscence and express its angles and details, the freedom of narration is maintained; even if it contradicts the interviewer's perspective, perspective, and knowledge. If necessary, the interviewer can, with a minimum of words, provide his/her supplementary or corrective opinion to obtain the best historical points (memories) and, of course, listen to the narrator's words again.

AI

The boundary between interview management and narrative freedom in oral history is to maintain a balance between scientific guidance and the narrator's independence of expression. The interviewer should keep the conversation on the path of the research topic by asking purposeful questions, but should not push the narrative towards a predetermined conclusion. Narrative freedom means when the narrator can express their experiences, feelings, and perceptions without fear or coercion. In contrast, the lack of management may lead to fragmentation, repetition, or deviation from the main topic. Therefore, the interviewer's role is not to dominate the narrative, but to facilitate and organize it. The success of the interview is shaped by creating an atmosphere that both maintains the coherence of the research and preserves the original voice of the narrator.