Preparing for Oral History Interviews

The first step to take when preparing interview question is to __________ as many questions as possible

Questions should be short and ____ to understand.

Which of the following is an open-ended question?

• Was the Singapore River polluted in the 1970s?

• What was the Singapore River like in the 1970s?

• Did you take part in National Day Parades?

• Tell me about your experiences as a participant of the National Day Parade in 1985

What type of questions are recommended during an oral history interview to encourage detailed responses?

• Yes/No questions

• Leading questions

• Open-ended questions

• Multiple-choice questions

Which of the following is an open-ended question?

• Why was training during National Service so tough in the 1980s?

• What was it like the serve National Service in the 1980s?

How can you make sure that your interviewee gives you useful details that are based on his/her experiences?

• Ask  general and open-ended questions

• Ask specific questions and follow-up questions to get specific details

• Prepare questions that are short and easy to answer

• After coming up with a list of interview questions, organise your questions in  _____________

order

Why is it beneficial to share your interview questions with your interviewee before the interview?

• To allow your interviewee to prepare answers and gather relevant materials.

• To ensure the interviewee agrees with all the questions.

• To give the interviewee a chance to edit the questions.

• To make the interview shorter.

A “thought” question is a question that

• asks about factual details

• invites the interviewee to reflect on his/her experiences over time.

• can be answered with “yes” or “no”

Which of the following is a ‘thought’ question?

• What was it like to grow up in a kampong?

• What is your most treasured memory from your time living in a kampong?