Oral History Resources
Dearborn IHP Program Coordinator
What is Oral History?
According to the Oral History Association's Core Principles:
Oral history refers to both the interview process and the products that result from a recorded spoken interview (whether audio, video, or other formats). In order to gather and preserve meaningful information about the past, oral historians might record interviews focused on narrators’ life histories or topical interviews in which narrators are selected for their knowledge of a particular historical subject or event. Once completed, an interview, if it is placed in an archive, can be used beyond its initial purpose with the permission of both the interviewer and narrator (OHA n.d.).
OHA Principles and Best Practices by the Oral History Association (OHA)
Information and Guidance for Oral Historians by the International Oral History Association (IOHA)
How to Do Oral History by the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Independent Practitioners' Toolkit for Oral Historians by the Independent Practitioners' Task Force of the Oral History Association
Oral History Handbook by the New York City Trans Oral History Project
Guidelines for Social Justice Oral History Work by the Oral History Association
"IHP-EIHS Symposium: Approaches to Oral History and the Work of Inclusive History" posted by the National Center for Institutional Diversity, recorded 19 April 2024.
Why Do Oral Histories Matter?
Oral histories play an important role in filling gaps, both intentional and unintentional, in the historical and archival record. These silences are often the result of wealth and power imbalances and other prejudices that controlled what was or was not included in the historical record (Zinn, 1977; Punzalan & Casewell, 2016). Interviews allow us to hear from individuals and communities we may not have heard from otherwise. The method gives those individuals and communities the agency to tell their stories in their own voices, largely free from the influences found in the written record (Adair et al., 2011).
Further Reading
Hughes-Watkins, Lae'l. "Moving Toward a Reparative Archive: A Roadmap for a Holistic Approach to Disrupting Homogenous Histories in Academic Repositories and Creating Inclusive Spaces for Marginalized Voices." Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies 5, iss. 1. https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/jcas/vol5/iss1/6.
Punzalan, Ricardo L., and Michelle Caswell. “Critical Directions for Archival Approaches to Social Justice.” The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy 86, no. 1 (2016): 25–42. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26561647.
Zinn, Howard. "Secrecy, Archives, and the Public Interest." The Midwestern Archivist 2, iss. 2 (1977): 14-26. https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/44118.
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Letting Go?
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ISBN: 0429333749Publication Date: 2020-03-11"Letting Go? investigates path-breaking public history practices at a time when the traditional expertise of museums seems challenged at every turn-by the Web and digital media, by community-based programming, by new trends in oral history and by contemporary art. In this anthology of 19 thought pieces, case studies, conversations and commissioned art, almost 30 leading practitioners such as Michael Frisch, Jack Tchen, Liz Ševcenko, Kathleen McLean, Nina Simon, Otabenga Jones and Associates, and Fred Wilson explore the implications of letting audiences create, not just receive, historical content. Drawing on examples from history, art, and science museums, Letting Go? offers concrete examples and models that will spark innovative work at institutions of all sizes and budgets. This engaging new collection will serve as an introductory text for those newly grappling with a changing field and, for those already pursuing the goal of "letting go," a tool for taking stock and pushing ahead."
Considerations for Designing Oral History Projects
When designing an oral history project, it is important to consider various aspects such as privacy, audience, end use, and access, all of which can impact how you record and display your oral histories. Beyond privacy, these considerations must be balanced against the resources and capabilities of your project or organization. However, it is still valuable to understand how different factors will influence or guide the design of your project.
Privacy
- Is the interviewee comfortable appearing on video, or should you consider adding an audio-only or transcript-only option to your project design and consent forms?
- Do any of the interviewees have privacy concerns or restrictions on use? Understanding and honoring the privacy concerns of the interviewee is crucial to maintaining an ethical and respectful relationship between the interviewer and interviewee, and it impacts how the oral histories are stored and displayed. For example, if the interviewee places restrictions on the interview, researchers may need to select more controlled means of access, such as using a display platform with password protection or supervised on-site use at a library, archive, or other collecting organization.
Audience & End User
- Who are the primary and secondary audiences that may consult these materials? The needs of the general public, for example, differ significantly from those of academic researchers and students. Understanding your audiences and end users can help you solidify plans for the interview and recording processes and determine how you will manage access and perform additional curation.
- What are the needs of the end user? How can you incorporate their needs throughout the oral history process? The needs of the end user can impact many areas. For instance, if your end users are from a bilingual community, you may want to consider translating the transcript for better access by that community.
End Use & Access
- How can you facilitate future use of these materials for yourself and other researchers? How can you remove or lower any barriers to access? This consideration is closely tied to those related to audiences and end users. Are there any user needs you can account for in your work that will facilitate future use, such as providing closed captions, enhanced metadata, additional context through text or images, and/or translations of materials?
- What is the potential end use of the interviews in this project? Your intended end use can influence how you record and preserve the oral histories. For instance, if you plan to use any footage in a documentary or film, you may want to record your interviews using higher-quality technology or employ the services of a film professional.
Oral History Ethics
Ethics in Oral History
- OHA Statement on Ethics by the Oral History Association
- Establishing Ethical Relationships by Baylor University Institute for Oral History
- Guidelines for Social Justice Oral History Work by the Oral History Association
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Beyond Women's Words
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ISBN: 0815357710Publication Date: 2018-05-02"Using Sherna Berger Gluck and Daphne Patai’s classic text, Women’s Words, as a platform to reflect on how feminisms have influenced the field of oral history, this collection brings together an international, multigenerational, and multidisciplinary group of authors whose work highlights the variety in understandings of, and approaches to, feminist oral histories..." -
A Guide to Oral History and the Law
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ISBN: 9780199342525Publication Date: 2014-01-01"A Guide to Oral History and the Law is the definitive resource for all oral history practitioners. In clear, accessible language it thoroughly explains all of the major legal issues including legal release agreements, the protection of restricted interviews, the privacy torts (including defamation), copyright, the impact of the Internet, and the role of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)..." -
Practicing Oral History to Connect University to Community
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ISBN: 9780429886546Publication Date: 2018-09-03Available online through UM-Ann Arbor Library; "Practicing Oral History to Connect University to Community illustrates best practices for using oral histories to foster a closer relationship between institutions of higher learning and the communities in which they are located."
A Trauma-Informed Approach
Oral histories sometimes cover emotionally charged or intense subjects. Therefore, it is good practice for interviewers to consider how they can minimize potential harm to the interviewee, the interviewee's associates or community, and the interviewer themselves.
Resources on Trauma-Informed Research Practices
Houston-Kolnik, Jaclyn, Hannah Feeney, and Rebecca Pfeffer. "Incorporating a Victim-Centered, Trauma-Informed Lens to Research." RTI International. 28 July 2023. https://www.rti.org/insights/trauma-informed-research.
Thompson, Taylor, and Kae Bara Kratcha. "Talking Trauma-Informed Oral History Project Design with Gabriel Solis." Columbia: Oral History Master of Arts. 10 May 2021. http://oralhistory.columbia.edu/blog-posts/talking-trauma-informed-oral-history-project-design-with-gabriel-solis.