Assignment 4: Oral History

Interview a family member or friend about his or her history of using the internet. Follow the guidelines provided in QCRM and utilize the techniques discussed by Seidman [the "Technique Isn't Everything, But It is a Lot" reading can be downloaded here].

Recording / transcription are not required, but you should take detailed notes to increase the accuracy of your oral history.

This research assignment has two objectives:

• To practice generating questions that will elicit helpful responses from your subject
• To develop stronger interviewing skills (questioning, directing, and probing responses)

Your write-up should include your complete interview protocol (the questions you asked, in the order you asked them) and a BRIEF (no more than 5 paragraphs) summary of your respondent’s experience with the internet. It should be posted on the course blog by 12 p.m. next Wednesday.