Fortes and foibles of translating oral history books in Iran
Written by Dr. Abolfazl Hassanabadi
Translated by Kianoush Borzouei
2026-03-12
Introduction
More than two decades have passed since the emergence and thrive of oral history concept in Iran’s academic environment. Until the first years of the 21st century, Iranian researchers access to oral history related references—including books and journals—was extremely scarce and looking through domestic or foreign datasets wouldn’t have much achievement. In that circumstance, the compose and publish phase of oral history prints was slowly originated. Yet, throughout the last two decades and concurrent with oral history gradually internalizing in universities, archives and research institutions, producing and publishing references for this field seen a significant growth.
Published works in the domain of oral history could be divide into two categories, “composed” and “translated”. After the foundation of Iran’s oral history association in 2004 and holding annual oral history seminars—which can be known as one of the most coherent academic streams in Iran’s contemporary historiography—a compilation of worthy composed references has been published. The collection of the first oral history conference papers (center of documents and national library, 2006), sura of interview in oral history (Soureh artistic sect) and methodology and subject defining of urban studies in oral history (Hassanabadi, 2011) can be mentioned as some of these prints. Moreover, publishing specialized oral history papers in journals such as documents treasure and also publishing the magazine of oral history researches has had a great share in the expansion of this field’s scholar literature.
Alongside with the composing phase, translating related books to oral history has also been gradually of great interest. Books like oral history in Iran (Hassanabadi, 2006), oral history and its position in Iran’s contemporary historiography (Aboulhassani and Nouraei, 2015), oral history: basics and methodology (Tavakkoli,2017) and oral history: It’s Nature and Methodology (Qazvini,2025), shows the growth in both quantity and quality of composed pieces in this domain. Overall, the composed phase of oral history in Iran—especially among scientific papers—has had an evolving trend. Yet this paper put its concern on assessing and evaluating the translated prints of oral history and seeks to answer questions such as: Has some sort of distinguished academic order been in mind while choosing the translated books? To what extent had the translators been familiar with the basics and methodology of oral history? How is the quality of translations measured? And how much have these works been concentrated on among oral history researchers’ community?
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A critical review of oral history translated pieces
The outset of translating oral history books in Iran goes back to 2011-2012. One of the very first translated books at this period is the guide to carry out oral history composed by Barbara. W. Summer which has been published with the translation of Reza Mohajer and by the efforts of the center of documents and national library of Islamic Republic. This book embraces a wide range of practical subjects, including planning for oral history projects, ethical and legal considerations, outset and management of a project, techniques of recording voice and video, compiling budget and financing, preconditions of an interview, where it should take place in and its method and eventually processing, storing and protection of datasets. This book has an educative and practical notion which holds special concentration on design and execution of an oral history project rather than focusing on archiving and informing process and techniques; thus, it can be known as a suitable source for oral history projects executors at any level.
Oral history theory composed by Lin Abramz—professor of modern history and the previous headmaster of Glasgow university faculty of human sciences—is another prominent translated book in this field which has been published by Soureh Mehr with the translation of Ali Fathali Ashtiani and is accessible for researchers from 2018. This book was compiled in seven chapters and nineteen orations and the writer has tried to provide an educational yet theoretical text on oral history. Abrams believes that as other history procedures, abstract aspects of oral history should be carefully defined. Emphasis on interdisciplinary research, mindset and inter-mindset, doctrine, the relation between personal and common memories and analyzing the context of an anecdote are some of the most significant topics mentioned in this book. This book provides a genuine and wider inspection than typical and simply practical expositions and thus it has a distinguished position among translated works.
Oral tradition as history, written by John Vansina and translated by Farhad Baradarshad which has been published by Movarrekhan institute in 2018, pays attention to a fundamental and challenging issue in historical studies: the credibility of oral traditions to be used as a source for history. Through seven chapters, this book attempts to answer the question that whether the dependence of oral traditions to memory, disvalues its plausibility and to what extent could traditions be employed as a historical reference. Vansina also pays attention to the difference and synchronism of concepts like anecdote recording, memoir writing, keeping biography, oral culture and oral history. topics that have been of great argument in Iran’s research community.
Oral history chirograph is another important translated print which has gathered a compilation of sixteen papers from the US and the UK University professors and archivists in four branch, “principles and fundamentals”, “methodology”, “theories” and “practical programs”. As a reference, this book contains a variety of abstract and practical matters; from theories of memory, stages of life and anecdote to designing a research, ethical and legal considerations, methods of interviewing, storage and safekeeping of datasets, implementation and editing of datasets, analyzing information, sexual matters and publishing oral history in written, vocal and figurative forms as well.
The compilation of orations on oral history which is a selection of eight papers in this field of which six papers have been chosen from the oral history reader book, was published with the translation of Mohammad Jamshidimanesh and Mahdi Khalili in 2022 by the research lab of Islamic culture and art. Papers such as “what makes oral history divergent”, “four paradigm shifts in oral history” and “methods of writing a biography” are some of the most notable papers in this collection.
One other translated book that can be referred to is register and record of oral history— written by Rally Yu—which is designed as a practical guide for human sciences and social sciences researchers. In eleven chapters and eleven appendices, this book aims to assess the distinction between quantitative and qualitative research procedures, principles of an interview and related legal and ethical matters and also provides a variety of functional tools for researchers whom carry out extensive interviews.
Additionally, communal culture and oral history: a guide to interview and edit written by Marjery Haunt which was published in 2024 with the translation of Ali Manouchehri and Abdoulkarim Veisi is a book that has a functional spirit rather than a theoretical essence. While emphasizing on recording and keeping oral anecdotes and communal culture heritage, this piece introduces practical suggestions for transferring families and local communities’ cultural heritage; an approach that is regard as one of oral history’s important functions in many countries.
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Evaluating published pieces
Evaluating the content of published pieces shows that these prints have a great variety in both texture and form; from organizational chirographs and collection of papers to subjective books composed by oral history prominent scholars. Yet, similarities can be seen among them based on content and they often emphasize on functionalizing oral history and presenting practical instructions from designing phase to the stage of operation. Although these pieces are not necessarily appraised among the most remarkable and consequential sources at oral history global level, they are beneficial and useful for Iran’s research environment.
Unequal quality of translations is a crucial problem within these prints. Translators’ academic knowledge and area of expertise is not at the same level and in many cases the translators had not have the required acquaintance with theoretical principles and specific expressions of oral history. This issue leads to inaccurate translation of some concepts and thus reducing the clarity of the text and even making it difficult to comprehend. While some of these pieces have a fluent and precise translation, some other translations make comprehension quite strenuous for readers.
From institutional prospect, a wide range of various governmental and private centers have been engaged in the publication of these pieces; center of documents and national library and Soureh Mehr publication and private publishers. Inspections reveals that the process of choosing and publishing prints by governmental institutions has been often more exact while some of the pieces that has been published by private publishers needs academic retrospect and redaction.
It seems that in spite of the fact that these prints have been introduced and promoted in social media and especially by oral history website, many of them have not yet been well noted in Iran’s oral history populace. Unveiling ceremony and reviewing conferences has only been held for Oral tradition as history while books like oral history theory are also of considerable theoretical importance and deserve more attention and discussion.
Ultimately, despite the translational flaws, translated books are considered as functional and beneficial sources, however they’re not mostly among the most significant pieces in their field at the global level. Books like doing oral history composed by Donald Ritchie, the oral history reader (especially in its more complete editions) and the voice of the past written by Paul Thompson are among the classic and innovational references that translation of them could somehow fill the existing theoretical gap.
In the end it must be stressed that despite the importance and functional content, translated pieces has neither been fitly reviewed nor evaluated in Iran’s scholar environment. Holding specialized book review congresses and adopting a wiser policy in selecting sources to translate could lead to the rise of this field scientific position and its deeper bond with global oral history literature.
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Sources
Lin Abramz (2018) oral history theory, translated by Ali Fat’hali Ashtiani, Tehran: Soureh Mehr
Morteza Nouraei & Hassan Aboulhassani (2015), oral history and it’s position in Iran’s contemporary historiography, Tehran: research lab of contemporary history
Tom. L. Charlton & Louis. A. Mierz & Rebecca Sharples (2021) Oral history chirograph, translated by the translation group, Tehran: center of documents and national library
Aboulfaz Hassanabadi (2006) oral history in Iran, Tehran: center of documents and national library
Aboulfaz Hassanabadi (2011) methodology and subject defining of urban studies in oral history, Tehran: documents research lab
John Vansina (2018) Oral tradition as history, translated by Farhad Baradarshad, Tehran: Movarrekhan Publication Co.
Vallery Rally Yu (2023) register and record of oral history, translated by Hossein Farahani, Tehran: Soureh artistic sect
Barbara. W. Summer (2013) the guide to carry out oral history, translated by Reza Mohajer, Tehran: center of documents and national library
Hamid Qazvini (2025) oral history: Its Nature and Methodology, Tehran: Jalal Al-Ahmad publication
Marjery Haunt (2024) communal culture and oral history: a guide to interview and edit, translated by Ali Manouchehri & Abdoulkarim Veisi, Tehran: Andisheh studio
center of documents and national library (2006) the collection of the first oral history conference papers, Tehran: center of documents and national library
Mohammad Jamshidimanesh & Mahdi Khalili (2022) The compilation of orations on oral history, Tehran: research laboratory of Islamic culture and art
Maryam Rajabi (2018) introducing and evaluating the book Oral tradition as history:
https://www.oral-history.ir/?page=post&id=8185
Routledg, Perks. R, & Thomson, A. (Eds.), (2016), The oral history reader (3rd ed.)
Ritchie, D. A. (2015). Doing oral history (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Paul Thompson, The Voice of the Past: Oral History (3rd ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press
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http://oral-history.ir/?page=post&id=13108