Oral History Interviewing Workshop

This six-week workshop series is a part of the Creative Aging fellowship and is sponsored by the Lifelong Arts and the Indiana Arts Commission. It is free and open to all. Workshop leader Sam Love will teach the complete process for conducting oral history style interviews. Attendance at each workshop is advised but not mandatory. 

Session Outlines:

Week 1: April 8, 2025

Introductions and Defining The Topic

Students will learn oral history best practices, historical thinking, and develop social research strategies for finding willing and relevant responses while factoring time, place, and circumstances into the creation of project ideas. 

Week 2: April 15, 2025

Crafting Open-Ended Questions and Securing Permissions

Students will learn to craft questions that generate honest, clear, original, and vivid responses while developing strategies to get the permission to record others. In this section, students will begin by crafting a  set of basic, general, and open-ended questions with the intention of sharing with potential respondents. Students will also discuss tips and best practices for engaging with potential respondents, framed around a discussion of ethical considerations.
 

Week 3: April 22, 2025

Preparing Your Equipment

Students will learn the basics of current recording equipment, stressing the necessity of having the equipment in working order before the interview, knowing what equipment and materials are useful for conducting a successful interview while developing trust between the interviewer and respondent. 

Week 4: April 29, 2025

Interviewing

Students will learn how to sharpen their listening skills and situational awareness and how to apply this to a live interviewing session. The class will consider best practices and the ethical considerations for conducting a successful oral history interview with a special focus on various listening skills followed by discussing the immediate post-interview steps of saving the recording, preparing for transcription, and following-up with the respondent about next steps. 
 

Week 5: May 13, 2025

Transcription and Editing

Students will learn how to develop strategies to lessen the burden of transcription while also maintaining accuracy. The class will discuss current technologies and transcription apps, as well as basic line and copy editing skills and best practices. 

Week 6: May 20, 2025

Preservation and Accessibility

Students will gain a familiarity of archives and historical repositories in Northwest Indiana while gaining an understanding of preservation and technology. This concluding class will discuss available publishing options, including self-publishing in print and online.