You are gathering oral reports from family members to include in a genealogy report on your family’s history and need to be sure that you are able to organize the information you have gathered in a way that will bring you the most benefits for later use. There are a few things that can be done to be sure you are organizing this information correctly including steps on how to gather the information, document it, check it for accuracy, transcribe it into your records, compare it with other information you may have already gathered, sifting through conflicting data and of course being able to glean from your information just whom you should interview next.
How to Gather Information?
Every family has living members who love to share stories about colorful family history. Stories often get past down from generation to generation about family members known for being the person credited with some feat or disgrace. Certain family members seem to be able to recall information better than others. One way to gather this important information from family members is to interview them one at a time.
How to Correctly Document Information?
You can document the information told to you by living relatives by recording it in a journal or other recording mechanism such as a voice recorder for later transcription, or by typing it into an online notepad or word document. You will want to correctly document the oral information that is told to you as soon as possible so you don’t forget or confuse facts that were told to you. The information should be recorded in such as manner that the facts can easily be determined, who was the source of the information, when was the information gathered, and where was the information obtained. The manner in which it is recorded should follow basic guidelines such as the name of the person recording the data, the person being interviewed, where the interview took place, the date of the interview, as accurate as possible details of the information given and any backup resources such as available primary/secondary sources that can be used to verify the information such as names, addresses, and such that can be used to access certificates, and other documentation.
How to Check Information for Accuracy?
Compare data that has been entered with other data that is pertaining to the same person, place or item for discrepancies and note anything that does not match. When in doubt always check facts at least twice with two different sources. An example would be if during an interview you were told that Harry’s aunt’s last name was Miller you could check birth certificates to see if the name matched social security records. A marriage license may reveal a maiden name and married name to cross-reference.
How to Transcribe Your Information?
It is vital you transcribe any information gathered immediately while it is fresh in your mind. When recording devices were used, play them in their entirety to be sure that all sections are clearly heard and understood and that what is heard makes sense. Take notes from what has been recorded in case the recording is lost or damaged.
What to do with Conflicting Information?
New information that you have gathered from an oral interview will fall into one of three categories: It will be new information, information that matches previously gathered information or it will be information that conflicts with previously gathered information. If it falls into the last category you will need to verify the information so that you can discover which information is more accurate. To verify information interview another person about the subject, check with primary and secondary sources to verify facts (the more sources the better for getting an accurate picture) and use the most up-to-date sources so that you can decide which information is more accurate.
Who to Interview Next?
When you have recorded an interview and read over it there will be facts, names, places or events that stick out. Perhaps, they stick out because you are unfamiliar with them, or because they lead to a place, person or thing that you remember from another interview, or that you found to conflict with other interviews. All of these situations bear further investigation and are indications of who to interview next.