Some Tips of the Trade: A few guidelines make oral history easy

Technology has made recording oral histories cheaper and the results more engaging. Here is some advice for getting started.

Covers such aspects as:

+ Preparation (”Head to your local library and dig up newspapers from pivotal dates in your subject’s life (i.e., wedding, first day on the job, death of a parent). By reading not only the headlines but also the advertisements, sports scores, and entertainment pages, you might be able to take the subject back to the old days and prompt unusual responses.)

+ Technology (”Archivists argue over the best format and the medium with the most longevity. But the basic rule is to use the best technology available to you. First and foremost, choose between audio and video. Each has its own advantages and drawbacks. Audio is intimate and less obtrusive in the interview process, but the poignancy of a moving image is considerable.”)

+ Questions (”Avoid yes-or-no questions at all costs. The purpose of oral histories isn’t to ascertain a given set of facts but rather to take a collection of memories and feelings. Open-ended questions like ‘How did it make you feel to…?’ work best.”)

Source: U.S. News
Hat tip: PW

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 and is filed under Archives and Special Collections, History, Source File. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.