Opening the interview
As mentioned in “Interviewing for biography: Before the interview”, building rapport with your interviewee starts long before the first interview, but once you do reach the actual interview, remember that what you do at the start will set the tone for the rest of your time together.
In the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Elizabeth Hoffman notes that interviewees may feel insecurity, anxiety and fear. They may be anxious about how the interview will transpire, what might be asked and how they might react and respond. Some may be worried about revealing too much, or not enough, or that the interview might trigger deep emotions such as fear, sadness and anxiety.
Oral historian Donald Ritchie mentioned that “news reporters have found that a cheerful approach helps people relax and think less about the formality of the interview” and Suzie Mackenzie, writer at The Guardian called the interview the “art of practiced seduction” and suggested that interviewers should “smile… laugh at their jokes, give them every possible sign that they have your complete attention”.
Talmage suggests helping your interviewee feel comfortable by showing a sincere interest in them as a person, which kind of goes without saying. In addition, Ritchie says that showing mutual interest may help the interviewee feel comfortable as it shows you’re relatable: consider sharing something about yourself that they may be able to relate to. Johnson and Rowlands note that a failure to share something about yourself can portray you as impersonal, hindering the intimacy and depth of the interview.
Before interviewing older women about their traumatic experiences during war, Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich built rapport by spending time with her interviewees:
I sit for a long time, sometimes a whole day in an unknown house or apartment. We drink tea, try on recently bought blouses, discuss hairstyles and recipes. Look at the photos of the grandchildren together. And then… after a certain time, you never know when or why, suddenly comes this long awaited moment, when the person departs from the canon – plaster and reinforced concrete, like our monuments – and goes on to herself. Into herself. Begins to remember not the war but her youth. A piece of her life… I must seize that moment. Not miss it!
After breaking the ice, Miller, Harding and Baez suggest briefly reviewing key decisions made during your pre-interview, such as the presence of the recording device/s, the length of the interview and what will be discussed, as well as confidentiality and their option to change their mind and stop the interview at anytime.
All of the above should have been discussed before the interview, but once consent has been reconfirmed, hit record on your recording devices.
Ending the interview
Prepare or come up with a question to wrap up the interview, perhaps ask if the interviewee has anything they would like to say or add. Harding noted that this question led to new unexpected themes and Janesick said that oral historians and other researchers often report that interviewees later say they were thinking about the closing questions for a long time after the interview. She recommends asking “Is there anything you wish to add to our conversation today? Is there anything I have forgotten to ask and which you feel is important?”.
Don’t be tempted to leave the recorder going after the interview has finished: Miller says it’s misleading and removes the ritual of stopping the recording. Ritchie stresses that it’s important to continue talking after the official interview, inviting the interviewee to reflect on the interview experience, reminding them where the interview will be stored and how the information will be used and Jessee uses it as an opportunity to revisit their consent for the interview and recording.
Finish on a positive, upbeat note so they remember the interview positively and will be happy to commit to another one, if needed.
Next we’ll look at different approaches to interview questions in Interviewing for biography: interrogation, conversation and the in-between.
0 Comments