Your research can take many forms and can include, but is not limited to, collecting materials, conducting interviews, audio and footage. It’s up to you what you want to include and how you want it to look.  

Gather materials

First thing to do is set a guiding question – what do you hope to find out? Then start planning your investigation by gathering materials. Research your story using sources such as newspapers, websites, history books, historical societies, clubs and organisations, council offices, services (For example, the local fire station), and retirement homes. Talk to people, ask questions, be curious: one of these people might point you to someone you can interview, or Next ModuleNext Modulemight agree to be interviewed themselves. Collect photos, documents, letters and other material related to your interviewee's story. Here are a list of research guides and online collections that might help:

Conduct interviews

If you choose to do an interview you can capture your interviewee's story in whatever way you want – you can film them, make an audio recording of their story, or write notes to turn into text or a voiceover. Be sure to read through the filming tips below for advice about using a camera to record an interview.

Remember, even if you only want to have audio in your final digital history, you can still use a camera to capture the interview and just use the audio part of it.

TIP: Don’t have access to a camera? Don’t worry! You can use a smart phone or a tablet to film your interview. Just make sure you prop them up steady so it doesn’t move around during the interview.

Setting up your camera

• Choose a quiet space, ideally with natural light and a background without distractions. This doesn’t mean you need to have a blank wall behind your interviewee – an interesting background can add to the story.
• When filming your interviewee, put the camera at eye level and get in close. Move the camera closer to the subject and avoid using the zoom.
• Follow the rule of thirds and place your interviewee in the left or right third of the frame rather than in the middle.
• Avoid horizontal lines if you can. For example, if there are horizontal blinds, don’t use them as a backdrop.
  Use a tripod to keep the camera steady.

Lighting

• Position your interviewee so there is ample lighting on their face without it being too harsh.
• The ideal lighting setup is to have natural light coming from the side.
• Avoid backlighting. For example, setting up so sunlight through a window is behind the subject as this will create a silhouette and you won’t be able to clearly see the subject’s face.
• Avoid front lighting, which will shine in the subject’s eyes and make them squint.
• Consider using a reflector to bounce light into the person’s face – even a white piece of cardboard will do.

Sound

• Get in close to your interviewee so the camera’s microphone can pick up sounds.
• Ideally, use an external microphone and hold it just out of frame, or clip a lapel mic onto your subject’s shirt.
• Be sure clothing doesn’t rustle against the lapel mic and create noise otherwise you won’t get any usable sound.

 Interview techniques

• Be encouraging and supportive to your interviewee. Some people get nervous before an interview. Brief them before you start and ask them if they have any questions.
• Sit next to the camera as close as you can, and ask your interviewee to look at you rather than at the camera.
• Ask your interviewee open ended questions (those that don’t require yes or no answers) and ask them to incorporate the question in their answer. For example, you might ask, “Can you tell me about when you first arrived in Australia?” This means when you’re editing your interview you can remove your question so the interviewee is telling the story.
• Try to give silent feedback when interviewing. For example, don’t respond with “that’s interesting” when your interviewee says something. Instead just nod your head and use facial expressions to respond.

TIP: Check your equipment to ensure everything is working before you go to the interview. Make sure you have the necessary batteries, power cords, a charger or memory cards, etc.

References and permissions

Be as creative as you like while also being careful about collecting and referencing your sources.

All interviewees must give their consent to appear in your digital history. You must also have permission to use the material in your digital history, and you must reference your material at the end. These things are essential and your digital history will not be uploaded to the Making History showcase without them.

Permission to use material

Everything in your digital history must be:

1. Original work created by you, such as video footage you recorded;
2. In the public domain, meaning it is not under copyright;
3. Copyrighted material that you have permission to use, such as:

• Photos from Museums Victoria Collection.
• Where you have a signed consent form from the creator to use it (For example, footage of an interviewee and/or a materials they provide).
• Creative Commons licensed work.

Creative Commons material

Creative Commons is a system where creators allow the public to use their copyrighted material under specific conditions, which are outlined in a license. Creative Commons licensed material is a great source for your digital history.

TIP: Check out the Creative Commons information pack for teachers and students, which explains what Creative Commons is, how to find Creative Commons licensed material, and how to correctly attribute it. Also have look at Flickr Creative Commons to search photos on Flickr that have been released under a Creative Commons licence.

Any music used needs to also be copyright free. 

Reference your sources

Everything that appears in your digital history must be acknowledged. To do this, list your sources at the end. This includes:

• The name of anyone you have interviewed
• Photos or illustrations
• Documents
• Audio such as songs or sounds
• Anything else you’ve used

We suggest you also include a courtesy line. For example, Photograph of Smith family Courtesy of Mary Smith. If you have used material that falls under a Creative Commons license, it needs to be attributed in a specific way, which the creator would've outlined when you acquired their material. See also the Creative Commons document, How to attribute Creative Commons licensed materials.

Consent Forms

Parental permission is required before students can communicate reproduce or publish material online. Teachers are to ensure that permission forms have been completed for each student, and that they’re kept on file at school.

All interviewees must give their consent to appear in a digital history. Use the participant consent form to request, collect and store this material. This same form must be used for permission to reproduce images from third parties.

Keeping consent forms

An historian would keep these documents forever. However, we recommend that schools and students keep relevant documents for as long as the Making History site exists.

Next step

• 4. Create a storyboard