Oral History Interview & Importance – Part 30 (Finale)

Archiving

The final phase in the oral history interview process is archiving the transcription and audio, video files and all other relevant documents. The objective is to preserve the interview and provide easy and quick user access. This phase requires detailed and applicable and cost-effective planning conducted by a specific method.

Oral History Interview & Importance – Part 29

Transcription Control

One of the final steps in an interview is control of the audio and video file and its compatibility with the transcription. This step has to be conducted with outmost care since many users do not refer to the original file for various reasons and study the transcription. Hence, the transcription shall be precise and authentic.

Oral History Interview & Importance – Part 28

Transcription

Once the interview is conducted then it has to be transcribed. The final goal of transcription is not to produce a final content but to write down the words of the narrator in the form of raw material to facilitate archiving and exploit. The following are to be considered in this effort:

Oral History Interview & Importance – Part 27

Additional Questions

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.

Oral History Interview & Importance – Part 26

Interview Report

Once the interview process is over, it is essential to draft a report on interview status and methodology; the report shall contain the data on idea emergence to narrator identification and contact and interview conduct which shall be archived as the background of the project and submit it to relevant organizations. This report shall be drafted by the interviewer and it is important to inform the project sponsors and beneficiaries.

Oral History Interview & Importance – Part 25

Ending the Interview

Oral history interview like any other activity has an ending. The ending is as important as its beginning. It is not an exaggeration to compare it with a musician who starts a piece in lento and then progresses to allegro and then back to lento at the end. In oral history interview, the beginning shall be slow in a natural pace to maintain its framework and assist the narrator in recalling memories.

Oral History Interview & Importance – Part 24

Mental Stimulation

Our mind is more active and productive while we enter into a dialogue with others. The more satisfying the dialogue would be for both parties, there is greater interest to pursue. Hence, oral history interviewer shall promote satisfaction in the narrator to entice them to continue the interview and stimulate their mind. Various studies indicate that in case of and effective dialogue, people enjoy a better mental and psychological status which reinforces memory.

Oral History Interview & Importance – Part 23

Arguments with the Narrator

One thing that the interviewer shall seriously avoid is long discussions and argument with the narrator. In some cases the narrator insists on the credibility of their information and perceptions and the interviewer has a different idea based on their sources of information. In such cases, both sides might insist on their position and interrupt the interview.

Oral History Interview & Importance Part 22

Duration

Sometimes the senility or mal-health or weakness of the narrator limits the time of the interview during which breaks shall be considered for the narrator to rest. I remember in my interview with an old political feature we had to cut the recording every twenty minutes to give him time to rest. In another interview, the narrator fell asleep. I mean, he closed his eyes and stopped talking. The interview team perceived that he is thinking and we waited but moment later we realized that he has fallen sleep. Also, an old veteran was anxiously telling us his story that suddenly he suffered loss of energy and we had no choice but to constantly cut the interview. Hence, due consideration of the narrators physical and emotional status is crucial.

Oral History Interview & Importance Part 21

New Questions

Obviously, the questions shall not remain limited to the list and during the interview the interviewer shall come across new questions and issues for which he has to raise questions to achieve further elaboration and clarity. These questions are based on the narrators story and rise through careful detection of his speech. Also, by asking new questions and expressing points which further elaborate what the narrator has said the research will demonstrate interest into the story which will encourage the narrator to share more.