Tips for Creating a Great Oral History

Step 1: Learn About the Person

A great oral history interview is really a great conversation. Your goal isn’t to collect short answers. Your goal is to invite stories. Before you can interview someone, you have to get their permission. Ask them if they would be willing to participate in your project. Also check that they would be ok with your making an audio recording of the interview.

Before the interview, learn a little about the person. Think about:

  • What do they do? How do they contribute to their community?
  • Why did you choose them?
  • What would you like to learn about their life and experiences?

Step 2: Prepare Your Questions

Prepare open-ended questions. Think about questions that will invite stories, collect memories, inspiration, beliefs, etc.—instead of collecting just facts. For example, instead of asking: “Do you enjoy your work?” try asking “What first inspired you to do this work?”

Try questions like:

  • Can you tell me about yourself?
  • What was your childhood like?
  • What community has shaped you?
  • When did you realize you wanted to help others?
  • What are you passionate about?
  • Can you describe a moment doing this work that you’ll never forget?
  • What challenges have you faced?
  • Who or what inspires you?
  • What are the dreams you have about the world you’re trying to build?
  • What have you learned from your experiences?
  • What advice would you give young people?
  • What, if anything, do people misunderstand about the system or situation that you worked to change?

If something interesting comes up, explore it further by asking:

  • Could you tell me more about that?

Step 3: Prepare Your Recording Equipment

Before the interview, make sure you have asked permission of the changemaker to record the interview. Tell them you are planning to make an oral history of them that tells their story in their own words. Explain that you plan to share it with others and that it will not be private. Sometimes people are more comfortable having only their voice recorded, rather than a video. So if they prefer you only record audio—that’s fine! However, if you are recording someone who uses American Sign Language, then you will need to use video. And of course, thank them for their time and willingness to participate in your project!

Determine what device you will be using to record audio or video (a laptop, tablet, phone, digital recorder, etc.). Test it out by recording yourself or a friend.

Plan specifically for the place you will record the interview. Does it have a lot of background noise or distractions? Is there somewhere you can sit that will be quieter with fewer distractions? Decide where you will put the microphone (and camera, if you are using one) relative to the person you are interviewing. Before the day of the interview, make sure you have tested out your setup and are happy with the recording that you will get. Then, make sure you can use the same setup on the day of the interview.

Step 4: Interview With a Curious and Open Mind

Good interviewers:

  • avoid interrupting
  • ask follow-up questions
  • allow pauses
  • show interest and enthusiasm about what they’re hearing
  • respect boundaries: don’t pressure someone to talk about something they don’t want to
  • thank the person for sharing

Sometimes the best stories come after a pause, so don’t be afraid of some silence at times during your interview!

And remember, if something interesting comes up, explore it further by asking: Could you tell me more about that? It’s ok to ask that multiple times!

Step 5: Turn Your Interview into a Story

After you’ve completed the interview, listen to it (and/or watch it, if it’s a video) several times. Ask yourself: What story is this person really telling? Listen for:

  • important memories and reflections
  • experiences of joy or celebration
  • turning points
  • challenges
  • achievements
  • values
  • lessons learned
  • memorable quotes
Back to Top