ORAL HISTORY | Mysite

"Oral history refers both to a method of recording and preserving oral testimony and to the product of that process. It begins with an audio or video recording of a first person account made by an interviewer with an interviewee (also referred to as narrator), both of whom have the conscious intention of creating a permanent record to contribute to an understanding of the past. A verbal document, the oral history, results from this process and is preserved and made available in different forms to other users, researchers, and the public."(Oral History Association).

ORAL HISTORY DEFINED

ORAL HISTORY BEST PRACTICES

Oral history seek and in-depth account of personal experiences which is different from other types of interviews. Some common points about the oral history interview process are as follows:

The interview should be conducted in a quiet room.
The interviewer should record an introduction before the interview begins.
Both the interviewer and the interviewee should agree to the length of the interview before beginning.
The interviewer should ask creative questions and listen to the answers to ask follow-up questions.
The interviewer should have a release form that the interviewee signs after the interview.

http://www.oralhistory.org/about/principles-and-practices-revised-2009/