Definition of oral history

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.

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Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important
events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These
interviews are conducted with people who participated in or observed past events and whose
memories and perceptions of these are to be preserved as an aural record for future generations.
Oral history strives to obtain information from different perspectives and most of these cannot be
found in written sources. Oral history also refers to information gathered in this manner and to a
written work (published or unpublished) based on such data, often preserved inarchives and
large libraries.[1][2][3][4] Knowledge presented by Oral History (OH) is unique in that it shares the tacit
perspective, thoughts, opinions and understanding of the interviewee in its primary form

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Oral History and Sound

The Oral History and Sound collection is part of the Alexander Turnbull Library.
There are more than 10,000 recordings in the collection. Recordings include interviews with people
from throughout New Zealand and the Pacific, of various ethnicities, iwi (tribe) and hap (sub-tribe),
occupations, political affiliations and interests. Talks, readings and events are also covered.
Most of the collection has been recorded since the 1960s. The collection covers New Zealand
society, culture, community, and political history from the late 19th century to the present.
Interviews usually have accompanying documentation, including an abstract a detailed time-coded
index providing quick access to the contents of the recording. A few interviews are fully or partially
transcribed. Photographs and other relevant material are sometimes included.
There are Mori oral history projects and recordings of talks, lectures and other events in te reo
Mori.
If you'd like to donate any material to the collection, contact the Curator, Oral History and Sound.
Get advice, training, and funding to help you do oral history

Access items in this collection

You can find out what oral history interviews we have in our collection via Tiaki. If you find an
interview that you want to listen to, the best way to organise this is to contact the Research Librarian,
Oral History through the Ask a Librarian form.

Borrow items in this collection

You can get Oral History interviews and recordings by asking an approved library to interloan them
from us, subject to conditions such as interview restrictions. Contact the Research Librarian oral
history to discuss your request before putting it in to your local library.
More about interloans

Get copies of items in this collection

You can order extracts from some interviews and other audio and video recordings for use in
exhibitions, websites, broadcasts and lectures. Contact us to discuss your requirements, and
permission procedures.
Interviews and other recordings may not be copied in full for private research. Notes may be taken
while listening or viewing. If you wish to transcribe material from an interview, discuss this with staff
first.
More about interloaning collection items
More about making copies of collection items

Get help
We can answer your enquiries in person or by email, letter or phone. You can also use the Ask a
Librarianform.
The Oral History Adviser can assist with oral history training, advice, and support.
The Oral History Adviser, Mori, is available to assist with material in te reo Mori, to provide
services in te reo Mori, and to work with groups and individuals interested in recording Mori oral
history.
The Research Librarian, Oral History, is available to help researchers with access to the collections.
The Curator, Oral History and Sound, develops, cares for, and manages our oral history and
unpublished sound collections. An appointment is required.

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www.awm.gov.au/sites/default/files/Australian-war-memorial-guide-to-recording-oral-histories.pdf

An oral history occurs when an individual plans and records the spoken recollections of
another individual. By recording an interview with that individual, you create a new historical

record which can supplement existing records, such as official documents, written diaries,

photographs, and the oral histories of other veterans. Through an oral history record, a

version of the past is captured for the benefit of future generations, in a way which

preserves the voices, accents and vocabularies of individuals interviewed.

Oral history is a method for obtaining information from different and personal perspectives,

many of which cannot be found in written sources. In the context of military history, an oral

history interview aims to elicit information about personal experiences and views relating to

the conflict in which the interviewee was involved. It does not aim to obtain information

which repeats the official history; rather, an interview will record a personal history, the

perspective of conflict or war that is particular to that veteran, including attitudes, emotions

and experiences. You should also find that through the discussion, aspects of the larger

history will emerge. The interviewer has a greater chance of success if discussion points or

direct questions are prepared in advance to elicit particular aspects of the interviewees

experience in active service. It is important to be clear from the outset about the purpose of

the interview, and to research and prepare interview questions accordingly.

The content and nature of the interview will depend on whether the interviewer is well known

or closely related to the interviewee, and what the purpose of the recording is. For example

is it conducted as a family history record, or for research purposes? Is it anticipated that

people outside the veterans own acquaintance will hear it? The interview technique should

be adapted to suit personal preferences and the purpose of the interview.

Oral histories with war veterans have been recorded for a variety of reasons and have an

equally diverse range of applications to other contexts. These include historical and

academic research, documentary film and radio, family history, museum exhibitions,

websites, school projects and community history projects.

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http://dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/oralHistory.html

Oral history is the systematic collection of living people's testimony about their own
experiences. Oral history is not folklore, gossip, hearsay, or rumor. Oral historians
attempt to verify their findings, analyze them, and place them in an accurate historical
context. Oral historians are also concerned with storage of their findings for use by
later scholars.

In oral history projects, an interviewee recalls an event for an interviewer who records
the recollections and creates a historical record.

event interviewee interviewer historical record

Oral history depends upon human memory and the spoken word. The means of
collection can vary from taking notes by hand to elaborate electronic aural and video
recordings.

The human life span puts boundaries on the subject matter that we collect with oral
history. We can only go back one lifetime, so our limits move forward in time with each
generation. This leads to the Oral Historian's Anxiety Syndrome, that panicky realization
that irretrievable information is slipping away from us with every moment.

Oral history, well done, gives one a sense of accomplishment. Collecting oral histpry,
we have a sense of catching and holding something valuable from the receding tide of
the past.

Sequence for Oral History Research

1. Formulate a central question or issue.

2. Plan the project. Consider such things as end products, budget, publicity,
evaluation, personnel, equipment, and time frames.
3. Conduct background research.
4. Interview.
5. Process interviews.
6. Evaluate research and interviews and cycle back to
step 1 or go on to step 7.
7. Organize and present results.
8. Store materials archivally.