a) Selection and relationship of interviewer and interviewed witness
Witnesses should only be selected to testify if they demonstrated a strong mental health and resilience, since retelling sensitive experiences can be very traumatic itself. With this in mind, be assured to provide the interviewees with a break or end the interview in case they are showing signs of stress during the interview. Further, be aware that witnesses may disclose unexpected information to you.
As many stories are overwhelming and may trigger a traumatic experience even for the interviewer, it is also important to consider who might be an appropriate candidate to collect testimonies. Before deciding on who will conduct a testimony it is therefore important to reflect upon whether you are sufficiently prepared to listen to and handle potentially traumatic stories. Hence, it is preferable that the interviewer has gained previous experience in the collection of human stories or has gone through some sort of practical training.
b) Protection of data
If the witness wishes to remain anonymous, all given data will be presented with a pseudonym. The initials of the witness on the upper right corner on the first page of “Testimonies Collection Form” should be adjusted accordingly. Collected testimonies will be stored in a secure database, which only a limited amount of people can access.
c) Methodology for interviews
Testimonies should be best collected through face to face interviews. The interviews can be structured according to the questions asked in the “Testimonies Collection Form” and should focus on the categories of violations provided in the document. The idea is to keep the conversation centred on the relevant topic(s), while giving the witness the space to define discussion’s content.
It is not recommended to collect a testimony virtually or via phone. If it is requested by the witness and the case is of particular interest it should be considered as an alternative. However you have to be aware of the several additional challenges you may be confronted with (insufficient internet connection, poor service, ethical requirements in the digital context, etc.).
d) Tips for Interviewing
Do not begin interviewing right away
• Start with a friendly greeting and present yourself and the project.
• Tell them about your role within the project.
• State that you want to learn about the person and their situation: You would like to hear as much of their story as they are willing to share.
Also, before starting the interview, explain
• What a testimony is, how it will be collected and for what it will be used.
• That their personal details will be anonymised, if they wish to do so.
• If there is anything they do not want to talk about, explain that you do not expect them to share any information they do not want to provide. They have the right to say “I don`t want to talk about it”, without experiencing any consequences.
• They are allowed to pause or stop during the interview, and to express their wish to exclude certain information that was previously shared from the testimony.
Listen and express interest in what the interviewee tells you
• Encourage a friendly conversation.
• Avoid a strict question & answer exchange.
• Remain neutral: Do not approve or disapprove. Encourage the interviewee to expand on answers
• Use words such as “describe…,” or “tell me about…”.
• Do not move on to a new topic until you feel the interviewee has said everything he*she wishes to share, but be sure to respect the well-being of the witness.
• Let the witnesses’ answers determine the direction of the interview while keeping it within Tribunal’s interest of shedding light on Human Rights violations.
Use the witness’ way of speaking and vocabulary to ask new questions
• Familiarize yourself with the interviewee’s way of speaking and use of vocabulary. If it is deemed appropriate you may mirror the witness language and tone to encourage him*her throughout the interview.
Learn how to re-phrase/re-think questions
• Be prepared to use synonyms or simple wording for more complicated or ambiguous terms.
• Think of 1-2 alternative ways of asking the same question to ensure the witness understands.
• It is useful to a number of open ended questions that may help you to structure the interview and capture the required information.
• Using “why…” implies that there is a factual answer. Interviewees may thereby try to give you a ‘correct’ answer. Instead, you may use interrogatives that encourage a descriptive answer, for example “what was happening at that time?”
• Do not ask too many questions; the interview should not be an interrogation. If it seems like the witness is avoiding specific questions, do not push him*her to respond.
Take your time
• Do not stress your interviewee or yourself. Give yourself and the witness time to contemplate on questions and answers. Rushing an interview may create unnecessary stress and result in poor results which require follow-up questions.
After the interview, it is important to obtain the witness’ confirmation to share the shared information in the context of the Tribunal.
• At the end of the interview, please fill out the “Informed Consent” sheet, which is part of the document “Testimonies Collection Form”, and be aware to collect all relevant signatures.
• The “Informed Consent” sheet should be signed by both, the interviewer and witness, but if the interviewee wants to stay anonymous, the interviewer can sign alone. If an interpreter is required, they should sign the form too.
e) Duty of care and safeguarding the interviewee
If it is relevant for the interviewee and you are qualified to do so, you can provide the witness with appropriate information on his*her rights and access to services. However, if any of the following issues have been raised throughout the interview and it is normally not your role to provide advice in such cases, please discuss the disclosure with a member of your organisation or collective:
• Safeguarding issues.
• Learn / suspect that the witness is a victim of trafficking or modern day slavery.
• Learn / suspect that the witness is working in exploitative conditions.
• Learn / suspect that the witness is experiencing violence or abuse.
• The witness indicates that they are having difficulty accessing health care.
• The witness requests help with housing / immigration.
f) Personal Safety
Apart of the interviewee’s safety, it is further important the interviewer feels safe and comfortable in the conducting of the interview. If you become concerned about your own safety, for example when the witness behaves in a way which makes you feel unsafe, bring the interview to an end, exit the location if necessary and, if needed, find yourself psychological support. If you are conducting the interview as part of an collective or organisation, you may want to consider agreeing on a person within your group who will be responsible to provide mental health support and counselling in case of such incidents. Further, before conducting the interview, consider the location of the interview to ensure maximum comfort and safety for you and for the witness.