What can we learn from oral history?

What can we learn from oral history?

Oral history helps round out the story of the past. At times, an interview may serve as the only source of infor- mation available about a certain place, event, or person. Oral history helps us understand how individuals and communities experi- enced the forces of history.

What is the purpose of oral history?

Oral history is a method of conducting historical research through recorded interviews between a narrator with personal experience of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of adding to the historical record.

How do you write an oral history interview?

Preparing for Oral History Interviews

1. Select an interviewee.
2. Ask the interviewee if they are interested.
3. If interviewee is interested, set up a time and place for the interview.
4. Write a follow-up email confirming plans for the interview that discusses the goals, legal rights, and how the interviews will be handled.

Is Oral History reliable?

Because oral histories rely on the memory of individuals, some of my colleagues believe they are less reliable sources than written documents. But oral histories really can correct, confirm, and add to the historical record.

How do you cite an oral history?

In citing oral histories, provide sufficient information to lead the interested reader to the physical location of the cited source: narrator name (as author); interviewer name; date and place of interview; type of interview material (i.e., audio cassette; open reel tape; compact disc, CD-ROM, DVD, transcript, etc.); …

How do you refer to an interview?

To be made up of:

1. Name of person interviewed.
2. Year of interview (in round brackets).
3. Title of the interview (if any) (in single quotation marks).
4. Interview with/interviewed by.
5. Interviewer’s name.
6. Title of publication or broadcast (in italics).
7. Day and month of interview, page numbers (if relevant).