You can ask them whether the information in them is correct, or identify who is in the photos. Not only will you ask the interviewee to gather anything that may help you with your research but you will want to bring photographs, charts, letters with you. What other things can be brought to the interview? You do not want to get home only to find that your responses were not recorded at all or you ran out of battery power. Test your equipment before the interview. Make sure though that the camera is on a level surface. The camera does not have to be focused on the interviewee, but maybe on both of you. You could place the camera out of sight so that they are not nervous or embarrassed by the interview. This way you will have recorded everything, and you won’t need to remember their initial answers from memory. Start the camera before the actual interview begins and try to make your relative comfortable before the questioning. Tip: If you are using a video camera then it is a good idea to state the date and location for future reference. Being in front of a video camera may intimidate them so be mindful of this. However, you may also wish to use either a tape recorder or a video camera.īefore you do interview your relatives please make sure that they are comfortable with this. You may just want to write down their answers using pencil and paper. The former will add more depth to the information you get as they explain how and why to your questions. To get the most out of the interview you can ask open-ended questions rather than closed-ended ones.
With any type of interview that you conduct make sure that it is free from interruptions. Tip: Please though make sure that they are comfortable with more interviews. That way you will get the most out of the interview and not forget any important questions.Īs new information may arise during your research you may wish to conduct a second interview or maybe even more. This will also allow them time to remember stories and anecdotes about their ancestors.īefore you conduct the interview you will want to prepare what questions you will ask. You will then give your relative time to collect anything that may be of use to you. The first time you make contact will just be to introduce yourself and state your reasons for the interview. You can then send them a thank you letter in response to their answers. If this is the case then enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. If interviewing through emails then leave enough time for them to answer you.Ī letter interview may be the only option for you. Several phone calls may be needed to ask all of your questions. When conducting a telephone interview call in advance so you can set a convenient time for both of you. Tip: State who will see the information that you will collect during the interview. They may not wish the information that they give you to be made public. Encourage them that any personal information disclosed will remain private. You will want to say that you are conducting genealogy research. And ultimately what you hope to achieve with the interview. When you do make contact please make sure you tell them who you are, how you are related to them and your ancestors. This can be done in several different forms, such as in person, by telephone, letter, or email. This is a great way for you to learn even more about your ancestry. If you want your relatives to help you out more then you can suggest for them to take a DNA test. It is supposed to be a fun time to catch up with your family after all. Why not interview your relatives at a family reunion? It is a great opportunity to get some much-needed information about your ancestors.īut please try not to go overboard with questions at these events.
There you will find more advice on Interviewing Your Relatives. Discussed in this post:Īfter checking out this helpful guide and the questions that I recommend asking why not head on over to Ancestry. So, it is certainly worthwhile interviewing anyone who knew your ancestors. The information that you can collect from these people may not have been recorded. Here I will give you the advice that you need as well as the all-important questions to ask your relatives. And they can also save you time tracking down useful information found in certificates, censuses, etc. Please be aware that even co-workers and friends can give you a wealth of data. Do you know which questions to query your relatives?
But knowing the right family history interview questions to ask can help you build your family tree. Interviewing family members can certainly help your ancestry research.