Definition
From the Oral History Association's definition of oral histories they state that "Oral history is a field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants in past events. Oral history is both the oldest type of historical inquiry, predating the written word, and one of the most modern, initiated with tape recorders in the 1940s and now using 21st-century digital technologies."
Furthermore from Doing Oral History, Donald Ritchie explains, “Oral History collects memories and personal commentaries of historical significance through recorded interviews. An oral history interview generally consists of a well-prepared interviewer questioning an interviewee and recording their exchange in audio or video format. Recordings of the interview are transcribed, summarized, or indexed and then placed in a library or archives. These interviews may be used for research or excerpted in a publication, radio or video documentary, museum exhibition, dramatization or other form of public presentation. Recordings, transcripts, catalogs, photographs and related documentary materials can also be posted on the Internet. Oral history does not include random taping, such as President Richard Nixon’s surreptitious recording of his White House conversations, nor does it refer to recorded speeches, wiretapping, personal diaries on tape, or other sound recordings that lack the dialogue between interviewer and interviewee.”
Best Practices
Below are a series of links to institutions' guides and instructions to best practices related to creating an Oral History.
- Oral History Association's Best PracticesThis brief document presents the Oral History Association’s guidelines for how to conduct a high-quality oral history interview; it highlights some standard practices that should help produce historically valuable and ethically conducted interviews.
- Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing GuideThis booklet presents some guidelines Smithsonian folklorists have developed over the years for collecting folklife and oral history from family and community members. It features a general guide to conducting an interview, as well as a sample list of questions that may be adapted to your own needs and circumstances. The booklet concludes with a few examples of ways to preserve and present your findings, a selection of further readings, a glossary of key terms, and sample information and release forms.
- Texas Oral History Institute at Baylor ResourcesThe Institue for Oral History offers a number of free resources to support beginner and advanced oral history practitioners. The guides and resources offered below will help you as you plan a new project, edit your interviews, or explore how to conduct remote interviews.