Prof. Palmer: Archival Research using the Cañada College Archives

If you plan to record and/or publish the interview you conduct, you will need to obtain what's called "informed consent" from the individual you are interviewing, who is called the "narrator."

In these cases, obtaining Informed consent from your narrator is an essential step in preparing for your oral history interview.  

Narrators are able to provide informed consent when they understand the purpose and scope of the oral history you are working on together.  This means understanding their role in the process, their ability to make decisions about what they want to share, and their right to stop the interview process at any time.  Obtaining informed consent means gaining the narrators' consent to record and share their story or memories.

Informal Interviews: For an informal interview where you will NOT be recording but simply taking notes, a consent form is not generally required. However, if at some point you wanted to publish your interview (for example on a website), you would need to go back to the narrator to request their permission to do so.

How will you conduct your interview? For an informal interview, the most common methods are in person, by phone or by zoom. It's recommended that you give your narrator a choice.

Planning for your interview ensures both parties understand the purpose of the project and can work together comfortably.  This involves:

• Preparing questions ahead & (optionally) sending them to your narrator
• Testing technology (if you plan to record)
• Identifying an interview location/mode and date/time (phone, in person, zoom)
• Reviewing & signing the consent form (if you plan to record)

Careful preparation will improve the experience of everyone involved and the quality of the oral history you produce together.

Not sure about which questions to ask? Check in with your professor or with a librarian. We can help!