The message is more important than the media. Modern technology, such
as audio and videotapes can help, if used correctly, but is not absolutely
necessary. Your purpose in collecting the information will help determine what
you want to use. It certainly is easier and more fun if you can videotape your
grandfather telling his stories and answering your questions, but if he won't
hear of it, ditch the camera! An audiotape is very helpful, especially if you
are not a fast note taker. If all you want to do is make sure you don't miss
something, you can explain that to a reluctant interviewee and even promise to
destroy the tape in front of them—after you have used it to make sure your notes
are complete. Often you can compromise.
If you use audio and/or video tape machines, your must make sure the person
is comfortable with it and, and better yet, becomes unaware of it. Once
permission to use it has been granted, a recorder can be put out of sight as
long as the microphone can clearly pick up the sounds.
Murphy's Law Will Be With You
FIELD TEST your equipment, preferably in the same place that
interviews will happen. Check the sound quality, the distances, the lighting (in
the case of videotapes or cameras), etc. Nothing is worse than trying to
transcribe interviews from a garbled tape.
ALWAYS take paper and pencil notes—no matter what. Pens are all
right, but take more than one. Ink will run out.
Take a manual pencil sharpener, not an electric one, and make sure
you have good erasers.
Have extra tapes or videotapes with you if you are going
high-tech.
If equipment fails, laugh it off and continue with your trusty paper and
pencil. And bring extra paper. You can use legal pads, steno pads or whatever
you are comfortable with. I like the paper that had a wide margin line so I
could put key words from each answer in the margins. I could easily find
particular topics later. People skip around a lot while remembering things.