Conducting a Genealogy Interview
Some tips if you want to talk to your relatives about your family
Apr 24, 2007
As I've mentioned more than once before, your living relatives can be the most valuable asset you have to work with as a genealogist. Don't neglect them in favour of yet another online database.
Though sometimes you manage to glean bits of information here and there through casual conversation, it might be worthwhile to arrange for a more formal "interview" in order to really capture what your relative has to offer.
One of the best features of talking with relatives in a lengthy interview, is that you usually get beyond the usual names and dates. You'll hear stories and experiences that add depth and colour to the lives of your ancestors.
These interview suggestions are geared towards an in-person conversation, but most of the tips could be implemented if you were doing a phone interview as well.
Give plenty of warning - Don't just show up on someone's doorstep out of the blue and ask for a couple hours of their time. Even if it's a close relative that you normally do visit frequently. It's too easy to draw a blank when a person tries to recall past events, when unprepared for the questions. Ask to arrange a time at least a few days in advance, if not a week or two. Especially if the person may have documents or photos that they are willing to dig up for you.
Be prepared – As with any research trip, make sure you have all necessary supplies (and lots of them). Pens or pencils, and lots of paper. A small tape recorder would be a good idea for something like this as well. If you have one, bring extra batteries and tapes.
Have questions ready – Even a generally informal interview can stall if the conversation comes to a halt. Have a list of at least 15-20 questions or topics that you can refer to, to keep the memories flowing. Try to avoid yes/no questions, as they don't tend to lead to very much else. Don't feel like you have to stick to your list though. Let the talk go where it may. If you have specifics that you really want to know about, ask about those things first.
Join in – Though this discussion is all about your relative and their memories, don't feel that you have to sit silently. Join in the conversation, ask questions, and add comments as you go.
Encourage photos – Don't let looking at old photos become the center of attraction, but browsing through some while listening to someone's stories can be very helpful and provide great visuals for you. They can also bring back a lot of memories all on their own. Ask if you can borrow the pics for scanning. You can use the images to illustrate your interview.
Show respect – If your relative has had a falling out or some other issues with other members of your family, they may not want to talk about them. No matter how badly you want to hear these stories, don't push.
How you store and record your interviews is up to you. You may want to enter some of the information straight into your family tree records, or simply keep the interviews separate. Bundling them together into a small published book might be much appreciated by the relatives whose stories you collected.
