U.S. Home Front Handouts - World War II Handout #2 Basic Rules of Oral Histories Be Prepared, Be Considerate, Review Do your research. Know what questions you want to ask in advance Prepare your questions. If possible, provide the questions to the person you are interviewing to give them time to think about it and remember. Bring paper, pen, pencil or whatever equipment you need to the interview. Explain everything. Explain the purpose of the interview when you first contact the person, and again before the interview. Make the person comfortable. Be sure they have a comfortable chair. Use your best manners. Go quickly over the notes you made in the interview to make sure you have everything correct. If possible, contact the individual again after you have written your piece to make sure all your details are correct and to fill in any pieces that may be missing. Return to Home Front Unit Counter start date January 2006 Have a great year!