Fundamental Questions in the Field of Oral History - 1

10 Fundamental Questions in Oral History

Mohammad Mehdi Abdollahzadeh
Machine Translation Edited by Mandana Karimi

2026-10-22

This text was received at the request of the Iranian Oral History website and in response to the "Call for Fundamental Questions in the Field of Oral History". In it, the author raised 10 key questions that he believes every researcher, interviewer, and person interested in oral history should think about, and wrote an answer for each question in about 200 words. The submitted materials will be published on the Oral History website with the author's name and pen name and without editing. It is hoped that this call will pave the way for a broader dialogue among experts and people interested in this field. On this occasion, we will read the questions and answers of Mr. Mohammad Mehdi Abdollahzadeh and sincerely thank him for his support.

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1. What is the necessity of a pre-interview meeting in oral history?

Any oral history project can achieve its goals when it proceeds according to a specific plan and in compliance with the principles and frameworks accepted in this field. One of the important steps in this process is to hold a pre-interview meeting. This meeting is an opportunity for the interviewer, before entering the process of recording memories, to provide the interviewee with the necessary information and to reach an agreement with him or her on how to do the work.

At the beginning of this meeting, the interviewer should introduce himself or herself and provide explanations about the institution, organization, institute or center supporting the project, the goals of the project and the reason for choosing the interviewee. It is also necessary to explain the general themes of the interview, the topics that are going to be discussed and the approximate number of sessions required for the narrator. This explanation, in addition to resolving possible ambiguities, also plays a role in building trust between the interviewer and the interviewee.

This meeting should agree on how the interview will be conducted, whether the recording will be audio or video, the time and place of the meetings, how confidential information will be handled, where the files and records of the interview will be kept, and how they will be used and published.

It should also be made clear to the interviewee that the purpose of the interview is to provide an opportunity for him to calmly and in his own words, narrate the events he has seen, heard, or experienced. The interviewee should know that he could refuse to answer any question if he wishes to do so. On the other hand, it is better to ask the interviewee in the same session to prepare documents, letters, evidence, photographs and other materials that are related to the subject of his memories or can help recall details, for use in the interview sessions.

2. What are the necessary characteristics of an interviewee in oral history?

Choosing the right interviewee is one of the important factors in the success of an oral history project. Having the right conditions has a direct impact on the quality of the information, the depth of the narrative and the possibility of the project achieving its goals. The most important characteristics required can be examined in three areas: cognitive, emotional and psychomotor.

In the cognitive area, the interviewee must have been a witness, participant or somehow involved in the subject under study. He or she must also have a memory that can recall to an acceptable degree the details of events, incidents, times, places, and people relevant to the subject. One of the values ​​of oral history is the recording of details that may not be present in written documents. Of course, forgetting is a natural part of the memory process, and the narrator should not be expected to remember all the details without error.

In the emotional domain, the most important characteristic is the motivation and willingness of the interviewee to participate in the interview. Forced participation or promises that are not compatible with the nature of the research are contrary to the principles of research ethics and cannot provide the basis for a desirable interview. The narrator must also be able to control his or her emotions as much as possible and continue the narrative when expressing sensitive and emotional memories. In the psychomotor domain, in addition to having a good memory, the narrator must also be able to express his memories in an understandable language. Interactivity and active participation in the conversation are also important characteristics, because oral history is not simply answering a set of questions, but rather an interactive process between the narrator and the interviewer.

3. What are the principles of asking questions in an oral history interview?

The interview is the heart of any oral history project, because its quality has a direct impact on the extent to which the project achieves its goals. However, a successful interview does not depend solely on asking the right questions, but is the result of a series of preparatory measures, including getting to know the interviewee relatively well, studying the topic, gathering preliminary information, and being aware of the interview objectives.

The interviewer should speak less and listen more during the interview. Questions should also be purposeful and in line with the objectives of the project. A good question is not asked simply to get a short answer; it should encourage the narrator to remember, describe, explain, and narrate.

The interviewer should prepare a list of main and sub-questions before each session. The questions for each session should be designed based on the overall objectives of the project and the information obtained from previous sessions. However, this list should not turn the interview into a completely predetermined conversation. During the interview, the narrator's answer may reveal something new that requires asking new questions.

Open-ended questions, especially at the beginning of the interview, give the narrator more time to narrate and prevent the interview from becoming an interrogation. Questions should be short, clear, and not prompting for answers. On the other hand, the level of detail in the narration of individuals is not the same. Some narrators express their memories in detail; but if the narrator does not have such a habit, the interviewer should ask supplementary questions to clarify details related to time, place, people, how the event occurred, and the surrounding circumstances.

4. How should interview sessions be managed in oral history?

Every oral history project is a set of interconnected components and can achieve its goals when these components work in harmony and in the same direction. In the meantime, interview sessions are of particular importance; because an important part of the project data is produced and recorded in these sessions.

The interviewer's behavior and management style can shape the atmosphere of the session in such a way that the interviewee answers the questions calmly, confidently, and willingly. Creating such an atmosphere does not mean unlimited intimacy or abandoning the research framework; rather, the goal is to establish a human, respectful, and professional relationship.

Asking appropriate questions, managing time, regulating the conversation, maintaining a balanced human relationship with the narrator, and constantly paying attention to the project goals are among the interviewer's most important tasks in managing the session.

Successful interview management largely depends on the steps taken before it begins. The interviewer must have a relative familiarity with the interviewee's personality, life, background, sensitivities, and life milestones, and must have clearly identified the main goals of the interview. This information provides the basis for asking appropriate questions.

In addition, choosing the right location and ensuring that audio and video recording equipment is ready to work prevents technical and side problems from occurring during the interview. Once the interview begins, the interviewer should listen carefully to the narrator’s responses, paying attention not only to the content of the words but also to his body language and reactions. Frequent interruptions by the narrator can disrupt the natural flow of the narrative; therefore, the interviewer should patiently allow him to complete his speech. Only in cases where the narrator strays from the main topic or his response requires guidance, should he gently and politely bring the conversation back on track.

5. How to convert the spoken text of an oral history interview into standard Persian?

After recording, an oral history interview should be carefully transcribed and converted into a written text. The narrator’s spoken text usually contains specific linguistic features, including tone, dialect, accent, and local idioms. These features may carry valuable emotional, cultural, and social information and should therefore not be omitted without considering their importance. During the editing and preparation stage of the text for publication, the spoken text can be brought closer to Standard Persian; but this should be done in a way that does not destroy the identity and voice of the narrator.

Standard Persian is the common language of official writing, education, the media, and scientific texts, and its use can make the text easier to understand for Persian-speaking audiences with different linguistic and dialect backgrounds.

During the editing stage, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and some unnecessary repetitions can be corrected; but this correction should not lead to the elimination of the narrator's personality and narrative characteristics. The text should not be manipulated in such a way that the narrator's meaning, tone, or perspective changes and, ultimately, his or her true voice is not heard in the text.

Local words and expressions should also be preserved in the text if they have cultural or narrative value, and if necessary, their meaning should be explained in a footnote. In this way, a balance can be struck between the readability and standardization of the text on the one hand and the preservation of its cultural identity and authenticity on the other.

6. What role does spelling play in compiling a written oral history text?

One of the important principles of compiling an oral history is preserving the tone and rhythm of the narrator's speech. In addition to being familiar with the principles of oral history, the compiler must also master spelling and the correct use of punctuation marks. Poor spelling may reduce the readability and apparent credibility of the text, even if there is valuable content.

Some of the most important principles of spelling in compiling an oral history text are:

Sentence elements, such as subject, object, and verb, should be placed in their appropriate places; of course, this correction should not lead to a change in the narrator's style and voice.

Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, colons, semicolons, question marks, and quotation marks should be used in accordance with the meaning of the sentence and in the appropriate places. Spacing and semi-spacing should be observed correctly.

There should be no space before punctuation marks and, where necessary, appropriate space should be observed after them.

Spelling and typographical errors should be corrected.

Paragraphing should be logical and coherent, and the sentences in each paragraph should be semantically related to each other.

Paragraphs should avoid unusual lengths as much as possible to increase the readability of the text.

In all these cases, one principle should govern the editing process: spelling should not lead to a change in the narrator's voice. The goal is to correct the text, not to rewrite the narrator's character and language.

7. Why is verbalization important in oral history?

The audio transcript of an oral history interview is converted into a written text after careful implementation, and its original version should be preserved and archived as part of the project documents. However, this original text is often not suitable for public release because speech features, repetitions, incomplete sentences, emphasis, and unfamiliar terminology may make it difficult for the audience to read.

The goal of the original text is to make it fluent and understandable; however, this process should not be a rewrite of the narrator's narrative. The narrator should make the text readable, not speak for the interviewee.

Dialect and speech structure should be preserved to the extent that they do not hinder the understanding of the text. Conversely, names of people, places, terms, historical events, and other items that are unknown to the audience should be explained in footnotes, if necessary. To ensure the accuracy of the information, it is best to use reliable written sources as much as possible.

Repetitive and non-functional emphasis can also be eliminated; however, it can be useful to retain a few of them in cases where they are important for understanding the style and personality of the narrator.

Therefore, successful narration must balance two goals: readability for the audience and fidelity to the narrator's narrative.

8. How is the validation of the material expressed in oral history interviews?

It is neither possible nor necessary to validate everything that the interviewee says. The purpose of validation is to examine important, sensitive, or questionable points that conflict with existing documents, evidence, other accounts, or even parts of the narrator's own memories.

Validation is not a process that begins only after the interview is over; rather, it begins at the research design stage and continues through the stages of preliminary reading, asking questions, conducting interviews, and editing.

Memory, as a human narrative, is valuable; but it may not all or part of it match documents, historical reality, or other people's memories of the same subject. This inconsistency does not necessarily mean that the narrator is dishonest. The passage of time, forgetfulness, feelings and emotions, psychological conditions at the time of the incident, and other factors can be effective in the formation and reconstruction of memory. On the other hand, documents are not always complete and error-free, and different people may have experienced and narrated the same event from different angles.

Relevant written documents, memories of other people, historical sources, and other available evidence can be used for validation. Also, comparing a memory with other memories of the same person and examining its consistency with the overall flow of his narrative can help in a more accurate assessment.

In cases where there is evidence of exaggeration, deliberate omission of some facts, or attempts to exonerate oneself, it is necessary to examine the narrative with greater care and caution. However, validation should not mean automatically eliminating or discrediting the narrator's account; rather, it should help to understand more precisely the place of that account in the reconstruction of the past.

9. What should be the structure and chaptering of oral history books?

When an oral history editor wants to publish the interview text in the form of a book, he or she should choose a structure that is both faithful to the narrator's narrative and makes the work easy for the audience to read and use.

On the title page, it is best to include the name of the book, narrator, interviewer, editor, producing center or institution, and the year of publication.

After the preface and introduction, the main text of the book, which is the core of the work, is presented in separate chapters, and each chapter can be divided into smaller sections if necessary.

The chaptering should be such that the reader can clearly follow the narrative path. This chaptering can be done based on the periods of the narrator's life, the chronological order of events, or the main topics. In any case, the structure of the book should not be so imposed that it destroys the continuity of the narrative. It is best to give each chapter a title that is appropriate to its content. Chapter titles can be direct and descriptive, or they can be made more engaging by using a phrase taken from the narrative setting.

Appendices are also important in oral history books. Documents, photographs, letters, and other relevant evidence can help to better understand the narrative. These materials should be carefully selected and presented with the necessary explanations.

At the end of the book, a subject index can make it easier for researchers to use the work. In addition, including a list of sources used allows readers to refer to the sources and further explore the topic.

10. What are the principles of writing a preface in oral history books?

The preface is the reader’s first point of contact with the book and his or her gateway to the work. This section is usually placed at the beginning of the book, before the introduction, and provides an opportunity for the author or editor to talk to the reader about how the work came to be.

The preface should be written in clear, concise prose, and avoid presenting material that is not directly related to the book. The main goal of this section is to establish a connection with the reader and provide a basis for a better understanding of how the work was produced.

One of the most important topics that can be covered in the preface is the story of how the book came to be; how the editor or author met the narrator, why this person was chosen for the project, under what circumstances the interviews were conducted, how many hours of interviews were conducted in total, how the tapes were transcribed, and what steps were taken to turn the interviews into a book. You can also explain the importance of the topic, the location and archive of files and documents, the editing method, and the extent of the editor's intervention in the text. This information helps the reader better understand the nature of the work and its production process.

At the end of the preface, it is also appropriate to acknowledge the people who played a role in the formation and production of the book. It is better to mention the names of the people, as well as the type of cooperation and role they played in the production of the work.

A good preface is not just an introduction to the book; it is also part of the scientific and methodological identity of the work and can show the reader how the narrative ahead was collected, recorded, edited, and prepared for publication

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