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Procedure for Scribing the Interview
While the interviewer is conducting the interview, another volunteer
undertakes the job of "scribe." The scribe is usually a silent and
attentive observer and makes a hand-written index of the interview
questions. This index is a help to the transcriber, who can use
it during the transcription process as a reference tool. It does
not need to be exact.
The job of scribe is optional. If you do not have enough volunteers,
do not let this prevent you from conducting interviews.
PROCEDURE FOR THE SCRIBE
- Sit quietly to the side of the interviewer and informant with
a clear view of a watch or clock.
- With a pad and pencil, create a timed list of all questions
that occur during the interview.
Recording the Interview
If you have had any experience with a cassette tape recorder,
it won't take long for you to feel comfortable taping interviews.
Any small recorder will do. Whatever cassette recorder you decide
to use, be sure to read the operating manual carefully, and practice
recording and other functions until you become familiar with how
your particular machine works.
- Power Source
Your tape recorder will need electricity to run. This can
be supplied by house current or by batteries. The advantage
of using house current is that it is dependable and cheaper
but you will need an adapter - one of those plug-in devices
that convert house current to the proper voltage for your
tape recorder. The disadvantage to using house current is
that you will need to conduct your interviews within an extension
cord's reach of an electrical outlet.
While there are several types of batteries on the market,
alkaline batteries (manganese dioxide) are probably the best
choice for running your tape recorder during interviews. They
are more expensive than carbon-zinc batteries, but they last
much, much longer and are less likely to leak.
Depending on the tape recorder you are using, fresh alkaline
batteries can provide power for up to ten or more hours. It's
easy to forget how many "hours" any given battery has been
used and a disaster if you try to tape-record an interview
with weak or failing batteries. To avoid this problem, it
is important to keep track of how many hours of service your
batteries have provided. One method of keeping track is to
put a small stripe on the battery with a felt-tip marker for
each hour of use, and record the date of purchase on it as
well. Remember that batteries can run down without completely
giving out. This may happen without your being aware. Run-down
batteries make the recorder run more slowly. It may record,
but will not play back successfully because the tape is not
being played back at exactly the same speed at which it was
recorded. Check your batteries frequently - perhaps with an
inexpensive battery tester - to ensure they are strong and
change them frequently.
- Tapes
We recommend using standard-size cassette tapes rather than
microcassette tapes. Tapes come in various lengths. The thinner
they are the more can be gotten on the cassette and the longer
they play. But thinner tapes are more likely to stretch and
to print-through (that is, one layer of the tape transfers
its magnetic imprint to the layer beneath it, giving an echo
effect on playback). While (C-60) tapes (runs an hour, 30
minutes each side) are fine for recording interviews, Q.S.O.S.
selected C90 tapes (runs 90 minutes, 45 minutes each side)
and only uses one side of the cassette for each interview.
This way the 45-minute interview is not disrupted by turning
over the cassette. C-60 and C-90 tapes are manufactured with
a standard thickness of 1.5 mil. Tapes longer than 90 minutes
are not recommended as they are only .5-mil thick and have
a good chance of giving you problems.
Tapes also are manufactured with several kinds of magnetic
coatings. For interview purposes, tapes with the label "Type
I" or "Normal" will serve well. Get the best Type I name brand
tapes your project can afford ("high output" and "low noise"
are also helpful designations). Only select Type II (chromium
dioxide or CRO2) tapes if your tape recorder has a special
setting for this tape type.
- Cassette Construction
Some oral historians recommend purchasing cassette
tapes that are held together with little screws at each corner.
Cassettes don't get tangled very often, but if you can open
the case with a screwdriver you can sometimes straighten things
out if a tangle occurs. If you have a choice, always try to
purchase cassettes that are constructed with screws holding
the case together. But if you cannot locate cassettes with
screw-construction, don't let that stop your project, as good-quality
name-brand cassettes are usually quite reliable.
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