[BCMA] Osoyoos Museum Society - Oral History Project

Thu Jun 14 14:14:11 PDT 2012

Peter's advice is very pertinent.

One of the hard things is to avoid having too much of oneself on the tape
(Guilty as charged your Honour) especially if interviewee is hesitant to
speak.

Microphone should be closest to the person being interviewed as their words
are more important and it is a good idea to do a sound test at the start.

Having TWO (2) Digital voice recorders going at the same time is
recommended to me by author Don Waite.

Digital voice recorders are so complicated now that you should spend time
learning how to use it to avoid catastrophic errors or causing delays to
the waiting interviewee.

Copy the data over to a computer and make back-up copies as soon as
possible. I lost one interview when the voice recorder's batteries died
later and the interview died with them.

Colin Stevens
Richmond, BC

On 14 June 2012 10:51, Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv. <
bcma at lists.vvv.com> wrote:

>  Here are some hints on oral interviews.  Do preliminary research on the
> subject in order to assess the quality of the informant's information.
> Such research will familiarize you with place names, technical terms, and
> acronyms of the time.  You then will not have to pause during the interview
> to ask how to spell something or to request an explanation of an unfamiliar
> term.  The preferred subject is one who has hitherto unknown or unpublished
> information.  A brief conversation in advance will allow you to assess the
> potential of the informant for a full, recorded interview.  This will save
> you the embarrassment of dealing with a confused, forgetful or inarticulate
> person's testimony.  Never ask leading questions that suggest an answer
> [e.g. ""I'll bet you were annoyed when ...." instead of "how did you feel
> when ...?"]   Avoid seeking confirmation to what is already well known.
> Plan the interview and write out your questions. Keep your own knowledge to
> yourself.  Play the humble enquirer.  Keep the informant on track -
> digressions are common. Once you have transcribed the testimony, go back to
> the informant to allow that person to make corrections to the typed copy
> and to obtain additional details that clarify the account.  I do this to
> avoid embarrassing the person when the quotations are published. A "consent
> to publish" form is useful.  Retaining the informant's trust and good will
> is crucial.  A respected source is a cooperative one.
>
> Maj [ret'd] Peter Moogk, CD, Ph.D.
> Curator
> 15th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, Museum
>
> At 11:05 AM 12/06/2012, you wrote:
>
>   <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
> "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>
>
>
> 19 Park Place ~ Box 791 ~ Osoyoos, BC ~ V0H 1V0
>
> 250.495.2582 ~ www.osoyoosmuseum.ca
>
> [image: []]
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear BCMA Members,
>
>
>
> My name is Andrea Steigerwald and I am a student intern for the Osoyoos
> Museum Society this summer. I am working on an Oral History Project and
> will be interviewing long-time residents of Osoyoos to collect stories
> about the development of the community over time.
>
>
>
> I am writing as I am interested in whether your museum/cultural centre has
> conducted oral history interviews before and if so, whether you have any
> tips on interviewing techniques and/or other resources that you suggest I
> consult for my project. You can reply to this email or call the Osoyoos
> Museum at 250.495.2582.
>
>
>
> Thank you for your time,
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
> *Andrea Steigerwald*
>
> Community Outreach Intern
>
> Osoyoos & District Museum and Archives
>
> Phone: 250.495.2582
>
> Email: osoyoosmuseum2 at gmail.com
>
> Website: osoyoosmuseum.ca
>
>
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>
>
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>

-- 
Colin MacGregor Stevens
Richmond, British Columbia,
CANADA
Museum Manager (Retired)
Researcher, collector & author
Specializing in WWII Canadian special units such as:
1 Canadian Parachute Battalion; 1st Special Service Force; Force 136 of
S.O.,E.; MI-9; Commandos etc. and Canadians on special service.
604-341-1917      seaforth72 at gmail.com      http://bcoy1cpb.pacdat.net

* Military Vehicle Preservation Association # 954 (since 1977)
* Author of "The Ferret Scout Car in Canadian Service" by Service
Publications (Dec. 2009)
* eBay identities: seaforth_highlander and museum_curator
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