Interviewing your relatives is a great way to trace your family history.Today I want to give you a few tips to help you get the most from each one:

1. Prepare a list of questions that you want to ask. If you know what you want to get out of the interview ahead of time, everything will run much smoother. So write down a list of questions before you go. It’s important however to be flexible and let your relative lead the conversation where he or she wants it to go. Some of the best information comes from memories that your interviewee dredges up mid-conversation rather than in response to a question.

2. Bring a tape or video recorder to the interview. This saves your having to frantically scribble notes and lets you relax, develop or display your interest and really get a flavor of what the interviewee is saying. Just make sure you ask for permission first. If you both agree that a video would be better, consider videotaping the session. This gives you the true expressions and emotions of the individual being recorded. Your children, their children, and generations to come can view these when they get older.

3. Help them recall events with pictures and documents. Often photographs can help to jog memories and have a dramatic effect on the stories that the interviewee remembers. Sometimes the conversation will hit a wall, and it’s a perfect time to bring another visual aid out. Since our technology today allows you to scan photos and everything else, you can print off a bunch of copies and keep the originals safe.

4. Be respectful to the person you interview If you notice your interviewee is trying to withhold information on a particular event, don’t push the issue. Maybe they just aren’t ready to discuss the past, or they cannot recall that particular moment. If you notice this happening, just ask for an interview on another date or ask a different family member.Causing an ill feeling is not the point to this project.

5. Show some gratitude. Thank your relatives for their time and patience after the interviews. If they enjoy your discoveries, let them know you will keep them informed of your family history research. A great way to keep relatives up to date is to create your family tree online and allow your family members access to your family tree. One of the best family history sites to utilize is Mundia.com. You will be able to collaborate with other family members about your family tree and any information someone remembers can be added later. Not only can they add information but they can also upload photos, important documents that they might have as well as stories that they might remember.

So if you ever though history was as boring as can be, when you trace your family history you might change your mind.

Filed under: Juvenile Nonfiction by admin
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