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Before your interview, you will need to decide how you want to preserve the information from the oral history. You can do it a number of ways:

• Take Notes. You can take notes as the interviewer is speaking. Sometimes this makes interviewers more relaxed if they know they aren't being tape recorded, but it's also hard to get down every word, or write fast enough while still listening to what is being said.
• Tape Record the Interview. While some people are uncomfortable at first being taped, usually once they get started they forget it is there. It is a good way to capture all the information, get the speaker's voice and emotion recorded as they speak. Sometimes for families this becomes especially important after an older person or family member dies.
• Videotape the Interview. If you have access to a video recorder, you can videotape the interview, though this also can make people uncomfortable while they speak. You capture the expressions on their face as they talk, as well as their voice and words. If you are interviewing a relative, a videotape can become a treasured item once he/she is gone.