The Art of the Interview-Getting Information

Genealogy can get bogged down in names and dates. To really make history come alive, you need to get interesting information from people, unless you are going to be satisfied with your life’s work on a chart or in a Gedcom. So at some point, family history requires talking to living people and that means getting the answer to important (and not-so-important) questions about their lives and their ancestors’ lives.
Good stories start with good questions, whether it’s politics, sports, or genealogies. After nearly 30 years as a journalist, I’m a firm believer that the secret to getting good answers is asking the right questions, not in trying to find more interesting people. It’s what I tell the writers who work for me. Likewise, you play the hand you are dealt with in family history. You have to find out what is interesting about the people you talk with.
I was lucky to have a lot of older relatives alive into my own middle age. When they were around, I believed in using a formal interview. Formal does not mean get an interview room or a camera and light crew. It means that you plan the interview, have goals you expect to achieve, and you ask the person if they mind answering questions and if they mind if you record the answers. Plan what you are doing. Here are some tips that I think can help the amateur become a better interviewer.
Ask specific questions that provide factual answers. There are certain things you just need the answers to. What were the names of your grandparents? What were your parents’ birth dates and anniversary dates. Where were they married? How was your first employer?
Ask open-ended question that elicit stories. What was your favorite memory of your childhood? What did you like the best about your first job? Prepare a list of questions that you want to make sure you ask? Don’t rely on your memory during an interview. You are likely to get sidetracked.
Repeat questions, but in a different way, or ask related questions? Where were grandparents from in Ireland can be followed with “Do you remember anyone in your family talking about towns in Ireland in which they have relatives?” If you have ever taken a personality test, you know that the same question comes back in different guises. It’s good for checking the consistency of answers and also, people simply remember things later in the interview or at other times.
Take notes. That’s what professional interviewers do. But ask the subject if they mind if you take notes. Most won’t. Most people want to make sure you get it right.
Tape. As a veteran journalist, I rarely use a tape recorder. On the other hand, some of my colleagues always use a tape. I think it’s more a matter of style. Obviously you can recheck a tape. I have enough confidence in my interviewing technique to know that if I want to get an exact quote, I ask for it to be repeated. But if you use a tape, also take notes. You don’t want to have to listen to the entire interview just to get a phrase or two. And believe me, tapes fail and batteries die on some interviews.
Video Camera. I didn’t have a VCR and a camera when I did most of my work. I would suggest this if you are a video fan, and if you can do this in a way that can ensure the subject is comfortable. Don’t’ make bad recordings for the sake of video.
Limit the interview. I think thirty minutes is good for anybody, unless the subject has found the cure for cancer.. If you need more information, take a break. If you can, come back at another time. Sometimes memories are better, sometimes worse. You need to spread out the opportunity to take advantage of those cases. Sometimes, different clues may jog your older relative’s mind and yield new information.
Don’t be afraid to ask. There are those awkward questions, about why the family Bible shows your great-grandparents were married six months before your grandmother was born. Be delicate. Most people would rather clear up a misunderstanding or admit to a problem, than they would to duck the issue. When you get an answer to a delicate question, don’t dwell on the subject. My theory is just swallow hard and get on with it.

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