Research & Targeted Questions in Oral History Interviews

Oral history interviews are means of collecting information. It is through interviews that historians in this type of historiography receive information from the interviewee. The interviewees are sources of various types of information; however, the interviewer is interested only in a specific type of data. Hence, the interviewer has to employ systematic strategies to manage and steer the interview.

Oral History Interview & Importance Part 3

Selecting a Subject

Selecting a subject is one of the key steps in oral history interviews. Oral history interviews are either subject or individual based. Naturally, to selecting a subject requires great precision. As it was said before, oral history interviewer shall not only have the spirit of inquiry and research but also have general and technical information on the subject and avoid any bios towards the individual and social and political events in question.

Oral History Interview & Importance Part 2

Characteristics of an Interviewer

Interviewers shall not perceive such activity as an occupation with mere financial objectives. Oral history has to be a cultural and social mission with deep roots in the history and heritage of a society and nation. It is essential for the oral history interviewer to have sufficient knowledge on the subject. Lack of scientific knowledge and information not only hinders his/her understanding of the memoir but also prevents the interviewer from asking the right questions and steering the interview in the right direction.

Oral History Interview & Importance Part 1

Oral History, Path to Cultural Dialogue

Recording memories is a vital endeavor which is called “Oral History” in case conducted through active and targeted interviews. In this method of historiography, isolated and marginalized social groups get involved in record of history and culture and define a new role and status for themselves; hence, oral history is perceived as a demographic method of historiography. In fact, the main and key characteristic of oral history is interaction with communities, groups, ...

Tips on Archiving Family History, Part 3

Readers sent dozens of questions about archiving and preserving family history and stories to Bertram Lyons, an archivist at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress in Washington.

Oral history and family history - some tips for family historians

How can oral history contribute to family history research? Oral history recordings are a fantastic resource for family historians. Recordings can: • provide wider context about the places where your ancestors lived, the work they did, or local and national events during their lifetimes, bringing color and texture to complement traditional archival sources

Preserving the Past with Oral History

We all have stories to tell. Stories about the exciting and tragic and emotional things we have lived though. Oral history listens to these stories. Oral history is the systematic collection of living people’s testimony about their own lives. Historians have finally realized that the everyday memories of everyday people, not just the rich and famous, have vast historical importance. Rich in personal triumph and tragedy, oral history is the history of the common person.

Procedures of Video Recorded Interviews At COLUMBIA CENTER FOR ORAL HISTORY

Over the last 15 years 500 hours of oral history on broadcast quality video, adapting the traditional techniques of oral history - in which rapport and research are central to the interview - to the studio environment. Interviews on the history of the Carnegie Corporation culminated with a series of interviews conducted with Carnegie grantees in South Africa, including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, and a biographical interview with Jimmy Carter in Atlanta. The introduction of video into the oral history process often follows a series of audio interviews, which are transcribed and returned to the interviewee before the video session is scheduled. The video interview is then an opportunity for a deeper reflection on the issues discussed in the previous interview and a moment in which the interviewee can consciously speak to a larger public.

Video technology assists in preservation of oral history

Oral history may be the single most valuable tool in preserving local history. It is the collection of historical information through interviews with knowledgeable sources, using audiotape and videotape. “Oral history makes it all come alive, much more than reading a textbook about it. It helps you relate it to your own family or community,” Carthage College history professor Tom Noer said. “History is what we select from the past that’s important. What’s important is often not just World War II, but the daily life of people during World War II,” Noer continued. “And you need to look at the average person, not just the important people.”

Share oral history between generations

Sharing the oral history between generations is an important way to capture and stories that otherwise might be lost for generations. (Shutterstock) Sharing oral history between generations is an important way to capture stories that otherwise would be lost for generations. Following are a few ideas to consider: