Why oral history?

Oral history is a unique research tool, and archivists,

historians, and other scholars have long debated its
finer points. Oral history interviews are by nature
wholly subjective -- they reflect only the
interviewee's and interviewer's perspectives.
Researchers who use oral history try to use them in
conjunction with printed sources, which may provide
a more balanced view. Yet in some subject areas,
where there are relatively few records, oral
interviews may well become the principal means of
acquiring historical information.
All oral histories are not created equal. The term
itself is ambiguous; it has included everything from a
professional historian's interviews of research
subjects, to group reminiscences, to celebrity
questionnaires. The CBI oral history program is
undergirded by four principles that help to ensure the
development of "research-grade" interviews. First,
the potential research value of the interview is the
most important factor in determining whether or not
to conduct an interview. Second, CBI historians feel
that oral history is not justified when reliable
information is easily obtained from other sources.
Third, oral history should be conducted by thoroughly
informed interviewers. Fourth, oral history should be
focused: interviews that are too broad in scope will
not contain sufficiently detailed information for
historical research. As well, interviews must be made
available for research. Transcripts should be
produced and the interviews should be opened to
interested researchers as soon as practically
possible.