Oral History :: New Questions

Oral History Interview & Importance Part 21

New Questions

Hamid Qazvini
Translated by Natalie Haghverdian

2017-09-12

As discussed earlier, a list of interview questions around the main topic has to be prepared prior to the interview and the interviewer has to take it to the session.

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 narrator’s 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.

New questions rise based on the imagination and mental imagery and listening to the narrator. In fact, the interviewer puts themselves in the narrator’s shoes and reconstructs the situation in their mind when any given incident has occurred and makes efforts to identify any ambiguities and asks questions in order to complete the story and further elaborate the issue and stimulate the narrator’s mind.

Obviously, the range and diversity of such questions shall be subject to attention to the narrator’s story and the knowledge and competence of the interviewer on the subject and their mental imagery and power.

The following have to be taken into consideration in raising such questions:

All questions, even simple and small ones and any required elaboration to be noted to be asked in due time. There is no doubt that the smartest and strongest of memories fail to remember or suffer oblivion in dealing with diverse issues and far from reliable.
Complementary questions shall be precise and within the boundaries of the topic under discussion and relevant to the order of stories share by the narrator. Any question or point which might disrupt the chain of narrator’s thoughts or divert the path of the interview shall be avoided.
New questions and efforts to elaborate any ambiguities shall be through open questions. They help the narrator to express their ideas in full and complete and do not suffice to general or yes/no responses.
Do not postpone new questions to the next session. Note that these questions shall be asked when the mind of the narrator is fully involved. In time, issues are forgotten or the narrator changes their mind towards the issue. By the end of the interview, take time to ask relevant questions.
Considering that such question might come to mind in the midst of the discussion, design them into the shortest sentences possible to avoid diverting the narrator from the main topic.
The questions shall not imply that the competence and knowledge of the interviewer is far beyond the narrator. Such feelings destroy trust and self-confidence and keeps the narrator from sharing more information.

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