Basic Definition (continued)
In topical oral histories, the interviewer seeks out conversational partners who have experienced a particular historical events, such as that on July 1, 1997, and through the interview reconstructs what happened and how it was understood.
Life histories focus more on the experiences of an individual and what he or she felt as he or she passed through the different stages of life.
Evaluation interviews attempt to learn whether new programs, projects, or other types of intentional changes are living up to expectations.
Focus group interviews are a form of evaluation in which groups of people are assembled to discuss potential changes or shared impressions.
Cultural interviews focus on the norms, values, understandings, and taken-for-granted rules of behavior of a group of society.
Topical interviews are more narrowly focused on particular event or process, and are concerned with what happened, when, and why.