Use of the Preinterview in Oral History

The majority of writings regarding interviewing in qualitative research have emphasized the actual interview process. Few authors have detailed the preparation of the participants and researcher that could occur prior to the research interview. In this article, the use of the preinterview as the preparatory stage of the research interview is discussed. The ideal content and structure of the preinterview are identified, and examples are provided regarding the benefits and the limitations of the preinterview as experienced by the authors in their oral history research. The article concludes with a discussion of future research imperatives pertaining to the need for and the use of pre-interviewing in qualitative research.