How to Transcribe and Use a Primary Source Interview

College Writing

Primary Source

• Primary sources that are thoughtfully selected can help to bring history and cultures to life for students. Most basically, they are defined as the direct evidence of a time and place that you are studying – any material (documents, objects, etc.) that was produced by eyewitnesses to or participants in an event or historical moment under investigation. Secondary sources, in contrast, are interpretations – often generated by scholars – that are based upon the examination of multiple primary sources.

• Documentaries are considered primary source

PALMER INTERVIEW

• He serves two purposesPrimary Source because he was part of the

documentary and was an eyewitness in Japan.

Secondary Source because he is providing commentary and an interpretation of a given topic/history.

MLA CITATION FOR LIVE INTERVIEW

Personal interviews. In citations for interviews and personal communications, the

name of the person interviewed or the person from whom the communication is received should be listed first. This is followed by the name of the interviewer or recipient, if given, and supplemented by details regarding the place and date of the interview/communication. Unpublished interviews and personal communications (such as face-to-face or telephone conversations, letters, e-mails, or text messages) are best cited in text or in notes rather than in the bibliography. Published interviews should be like periodical articles or book chapters.

Example: Lynch, Kathy. Personal Interview. 14 May 2015.

CITING IT IN THE RESEARCH PAPER

In an interview with Kathy Lynch, she said that he felt “Sea World sucks.” (no parenthetical citation required)

One out of five African American males will be incarcerated in their lifetime (Lynch).

*Fact check this statement from the interview.

Write a mini-paragraph

• Main Idea- Pull out one main idea from what he is talking about. The big topic he is discussing.

• Evidence: Paraphrase what he is discussing and then insert the direct quote and cite properly.

• Analysis

• Lead out- Tidy up your paragraph