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Doing Oral History - Corrigan
Doing Oral History - Corrigan
Sandul
Assistant Professor of History
Stephen F. Austin State University
Oral History is a term that
conjures up many images
and ideas
A conversation
A historical source
Oral History Paradox?:
It is of such obvious and self-
evident importance few have
sought to define exactly why
it is so.
Oral History has its own history,
development, and unique issues
Oral History Association:
www.oralhistory.org
H-Oral History:
www.h-net.org/~oralhist/
Texas Oral History Association:
www.baylor.edu/toha
Baylor University, Institute for Oral
History:
www.baylor.edu/oral_history
Oral History is as old
as history itself!
Story tellers
Ancient Historians &
histories
Oral Histories were
highly valued
Modern examples
Attempts to professionalize the craft
Rules and guidelines to overcome issues of
memory and bias
Rules and guidelines to articulate
responsibilities
Equipment concerns
Interview strategies
Professional / Academic
History’s challenge to Oral
History
Leopold von Ranke (mid-19th
century)
Favors written documents
Favors archives
Favors Political
Favors “great men” and “great
classes”
Social Movements of the 1960s
and 1970s
Give voice to the marginalized
and neglected
Give voice to non-elite
extremists?
Give voice to the family
Discover relationships
Enhance military, farm, rural,
urban, and local histories
Transcription = imposing literary grammar
rules and form on the spoken audible word
Costs: equipment and transcription labor
Oral history as:
A) one among many types of sources
B) as a unique historical source
Is factual historical recall even
possible?
Transcripts = memory of
memory?
Interviewees and
interviewers are bias?
Oral history as much about
discovering meaning as
factual details?
Oral History is
democratic!
Oral History as a device of
change
Oral History as a tool for
community building,
therapy, and self-
understanding
Oral History in the Public:
Wilson Project online:
http://www.sfasu.edu/heri
tagecenter/5318.asp
Things to Cover in Detail:
1. Equipment
2. Projects, Interviewing, and Question
Development
3. Preserving Oral Histories and Transcription
4. Q & A
Some useful websites and tips:
Baylor:
http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/66424.pdf
Baylor also has a good glossary of digital technology terms to help you know
what some of the technology jargon means:
http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/79809.pdf
Oral History in the Digital Age: www.ohda/matrix.msu.edu
The Audio Field Recording Equipment Guide:
www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/archive/res_audioequip_retired.sht
ml
H-Oralhist furnishes a searchable archive of topics, including
equipment: www2.h-net.msu.edu/~oralhist
Get a digital, not tape, recorder
Lightweight
Can record in either MP3 or WAV
Can record at least at 120KPS
Has a external light letting you know the power is on
Has a screen that lets you know how much memory is left
Can use both batteries and a power cord
Has internal/eternal memory card that can somehow enable transfer to a
computer
External cards are easiest to transfer, but can get expensive;
Internal memory cards only require a USB cord, but those can get lost
easily and memory capacity can be limited (usually up to ten hours
though—and that’s a lot)
Get a condenser microphone, not dynamic. Most digital recorders today
have excellent internal microphones
Always use a tripod!
Be aware of lighting (shadows) and background (i.e., bright colors and windows)
Media: Recording Systems
Four types: MiniDV tapes, removable MiniDVDs, hard disk drives, and flash memory cards.
MiniDV tape
Pros: compact; affordable; can preserve original quality without compression; good editing software.
Cons: have to use camcorder for playback; winding/rewinding tape eventually degrades quality; need to transfer images
to computer with large hard drive for editing.
DVDs
Pros: random access to any clip; easier editing in-camera or on computer; rapid duplication of discs for sharing; convenient
playback on computer, DVD players, even PlayStations.
Cons: recording time limited to 1 hour with single-sided discs, two hours with dual layer; images are compressed when
stored to disc and quality is affected; some discs allow only 1 use, others rewritable.
Internal hard drives
Pros: capacities up to 60GB, internal drives can hold 28 hours of video, far more than other formats; 1-button burning of
DVDs for easy sharing, transfer, playback; in-camera or in-computer editing.
Cons: pricey; still require image compression; and what happens if that big hard drive goes down?
Flash memory cards
Pros: first offered as an extra storage option for still images on both tape and disk camcorders; now coming into use as
primary storage media for video as well as stills, thereby eliminating moving parts, reducing size, increasing durability.
Cons: not yet supported by in-camera editing software; requires image compression; less storage than hard drives.
Laptops
Scanners
Portable
(Photographic) Cameras
Key: Can take a picture of at least 300 DPI
You have software that can enhance an image to 300
DPI and make TIFF files
Photoshop
Most basic computer programs have a photoshop-like
software that can allow you to enhance pictures
Qualities of a Good Interview:
1.Conversational narrative / act
2.Comfortable
3.Listening Skills
4.Performance: All the World is a Stage
5.Helps Interviewees
6.Is the Result of Good Preparation
Select a Topic
Type of Interview
Bio/Life Story
Family Tree Interviewing
Topical
Group
Focus Group
Community Interviews
Selecting an Interviewee(s)
Setting Up / Pre-Interview
Who to Interview First
How to Locate Interviewees
Initiate and Make Contact
Call or write letter
Biographical Sketch
Oral History Biographical Sketch
Filling out this form before the interview may help the interviewer ask
Other Relevant Information Concerning Family History:
more appropriate and interesting questions. The interviewee ________________________________________________________
should not feel compelled to complete the entire form, but only Education, Career, and Activities
those parts that are applicable, relevant, or suitable. Again, Elementary School(s)/Dates:
interviewees should only fill out what they would like to.
________________________________________________________
Interviewee’s Full Name: Junior High School(s)/Dates:
____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Contact information: High School(s)/Dates:
_____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Higher Education (Trade School, College, etc)/ Dates:
Family History
Birthday & birth place: ________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________ Major/Specialty:
Father’s Name: ________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________ Other:
Father’s birthday and birth place: ________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Occupations, Locations, and Dates:
Father’s occupations:
____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
Mother’s Name: If Applicable
____________________________________________________ Government Offices Held (city, county, state, national, and dates):
Mother’s birthday and birth place: ________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Political Background (political orientation, party affiliation, positions
Mother’s occupations:
____________________________________________________ held, and
Spouse’s Name: dates):_____________________________________________
____________________________________________________ Military Service (branch, rank, awards and honors, dates):
Spouse’s birthday and place of birth: ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________ Community Services and Civic Activities (organization/activity, offices
Date and place of marriage: held:____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Spouse’s occupations: Religious Affiliation and Activities:
____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Previous Marriages (Names, birthdays, marriage dates): Other Information:
____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
Children’s names and birthdays: Prepared By & Date: _______________________________________
___________________________________________________
Where to Hold an Interview
Safe & Comfortable Place
Consider Surrounding Dynamics
Be Near Outlets!
Why Bother to Record?
Independent Researcher
Equipment:
What Equipment to Take?
Pre-Test Equipment
Placement of Equipment
Keep close
Place near outlets!
Legal Concerns:
Release Forms
Essential
Present at beginning
Explain
Bring multiple copies!
Donor Form
Preparation
• Experience
Interaction
Questions
Develop More than Little
Funneling
Close-ended Questions for Probing
Examples
Interjections
Types of Probes
Leading Questions
Go Beyond Research Needs!
Interview Strategies & Tips
Pay Attention to Equipment
Never Turn Off the Recorder
Begin With Brief Introduction:
“It is January 12, 2013. This is Paul Sandul, Assistant Professor of
history at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. I
am in the home of Sharon Allison, the sister of congressman Charlie
Wilson. This interview is being conducted as part of the Charlie
Wilson Oral History Project at Stephen F. Austin State University to
document more about the life and times of congressperson Charlie
Wilson. Also joining me in asking questions is my colleague Scott
Sosebee, also an Assistant Professor of history at Stephen F. Austin
State University.”
Dealing with the Evasive or Nervous
Be an Active Listener
Getting Personal
The Embarrassing, Controversial, & Sensitive
Overcoming Rehearsal
Arguing with the Interviewee
Body Language
Combine Styles-Be Free to Adapt
• Take Notes
• Enjoy the Silence
• After the Interview:
– Thank / Follow-up Letter
– Fulfill Promises
– Listen and Evaluate
– Index
– Interview History
– Biographical Sketch
– Transcribe
– Final Product = when history-making begins!
– Good form to provide interviewee with a copy of the final
interview and transcription
– Allowing Interviewee’s to edit or not?
You do not like yourself and have nothing but
time?
Increases Accessibility, Use, and Ease of Use
Better for searching, easier sometimes to read, and
sometimes easier to understand
Shelf-life of paper versus tapes/CDs/DVDs
Facilitates preservation ease and motivation
going forward
Transcription is labor intensive.
Typically takes 8-10 hours per one hour of interview time.
Transcription is the act of putting the oral, audible, spoken word
into writing, subject to the rules of grammar.
People do not speak in sentences, paragraphs, commas, or
periods.
Transcription is thus a new creation; it is edited
Transcription is thus the subjective creation of the transcriber
On top of it all: need a good ear; good verbal skills; good writing
and grammar skills; good typing and/or fast typing skills
WARNING!: DO NOT THINK ABOUT USING SOME KIND OF
TRANSCRITION SOFTWARE!
To date, no transcription software has proven good or accurate enough to do
the technical and quality job that a good oral history transcription needs.
PAY SOMEONE?: Always viable, but expensive! (I made extra
grad school income transcribing-for-hire myself!)
Despite some limitations, just admit:
Some distortion will occur; but helps readability;
Imposition of grammar will effect rhythm and
cadence, possibly meaning; but helps readability;
Has the potential to alter order of speech; impose
meaning; but can ultimately make or break the value
of an interview.
Again: Transcription makes oral history that
much more valuable and useful!
A transcription is more than just the interview. It is the
interview, to be sure, but also everything about the
interview, as well as aids to the interview that facilitate
better understanding and usefulness.
Title Page (date/interviewer name/interviewee name /
project and/or institutional affiliation if applicable)
Interviewee Biography
History of Oral History (Copyright clarified/ Repository /
Context notes / Identifiers)
Release Forms
Donor Forms, if applicable
Index/Finding/Subject Guide
At minimum make a subject guide
Image Guide & Descriptions
Useful websites for transcription tips:
http://www.wwhp.org/files/oral-history-
project/
Transcription_Tips_for_Oral_History.pdf
http://www.mnhs.org/collections/
oralhistory/ohtranscribing.pdf
Baylor’s Guide, I think, is the best:
http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/doc
ument.php?id=14142
General Rules & Issues:
Spelling: Our friend!
Proofread: Also our friend!
Create a word list
A. consistent way to spell slang and other non-
traditional words
B. List of abbreviations
Change as little as possible; strive for verbatim,
including slang and pejoratives, but be
consistent!
“cause” over because—but don’t add “cuz” into it
Some of the big issues / points:
Clarify/identify people, places, and
things/phenomena, if applicable and/or are able to
Identify mood/emotion
Adding material (such as the above): place in
brackets.
“I am from San Jose, California [located in northern
California, about 60 miles south of San Francisco] and I
was born in 1975 [laughter].”
If long, place in a footnote at the bottom of the page.
Crutch Words and guggles: to delete or not to delete,
that is the question!:
Uh; uh-huh; um-hm; unh-uh; yeah; y’all, you know
False Starts: To delete or not to delete?
Some of the big issues / points:
Use numerals for years and dates: January 12, 2013; not
January twelfth two-thousand and thirteen.
Oh, and decades and centuries are rarely possessive, though
they can be, but are usually plural: so, 1980s and not 1980’s.
the 1500s, not 1500’s.
Ellipses (. . .): Are for . . . removing it.
Use an em-dash (—) for incomplete sentences; false starts,
hanging ideas, etc. If there is a big pause, and you think that fact is
important, say so in a bracket and not with ellipses
Unintelligible spots (make best guess and place in brackets that
such is so; write, in brackets, unintelligible).
Care & Upkeep of Oral History Materials b/c
Oral History Materials Are Highly Valuable
Remember: a transcription and other materials can help facilitate
and motivate the desire to preserve materials in the first place!
Legal Issues
Copyright
Who holds the rights
How should they be handled
Letter of Intent
Release Forms
Libel – Don’t Get Sued!!!
Individuals whom interviewees libel or defame can sue the
interviewee, the interviewer, and even the holding institution
(if any).
Restrictions
http://cont
cancel
agree
All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The
Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Excerpts up to 1000 words from this
interview may be quoted for publication without seeking permission as long as the use is non-
commercial and properly cited.
Requests for permission to quote for other publication should be addressed to Head of Public
Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, 94720-
6000 and follow instructions at http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/collections/cite.html.
INTERVIEWEE RELEASE FORM:
I, _____________________________________, consent to the recording of my statements and do hereby
irrevocably grant to Stephen F. Austin State University (“University”) the right to copy, reproduce, and
use all or a portion of the recorded interviews (the “Interview”) conducted by
__________________________ on __________________. I understand that the Interview will be deposited
in the East Texas Research Center (ETRC) for the use of future scholars and may be used for any lawful
purpose in all forms and media including but not limited to public presentations, audio or video
documentaries, CD-ROMs, internet publications, slide-tape presentations, exhibits, and advertising and
related promotion through the world in perpetuity, and expressly permit such use. This gift does not
preclude any use that I myself may want to make of my words in these recordings to the extent it does not
conflict with this agreement.
I release University and its assigns, licensees and successors from any claims that may arise regarding the
use of the Interview including any claims of defamation, invasion of privacy, or infringement of moral
rights, rights of publicity, or copyright. I acknowledge that I have no ownership rights in any work
developed as a result of the Interview.
I certify that I am over the age of eighteen (18), have read and fully understand the terms of this
agreement.
Signature of Interviewee & Date:_____________________________________________________
Address of Interviewee: _____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Information of Interviewee:____________________________________________________
Restrictions:_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Opalescence
Equipment & Supplies
Audio Cassette Tapes (60 minute / pop off write
protection tab)
CDs (Gold or Silver / 700MB / CD-R)
Digital Audio Files (MP3 / WAV / WMA)
VHS (S-VHS / 60-90 minute)
Digital Video Files (AVI / WMV)
Paper (Acid-Free; Lignin Free; Ph level = 7+; high
cotton)
Boxes and Folders
External Hard Drives
Online Servers / Backup
Consumer: Carbonite, Keepit, MozyHome, IDrive
and Backblaze
Small to Medium Business: KineticD, Asigra,
Vembu, CarbonitePro, and IBackup
Enterprise: Backup-Technology, Intronis, Storage
Guardian, MozyPro, and CoreVault
The Basics:
Education & Learning
Make Multiple Copies
Audio
Transcript
Accompanying Paperwork
Any Questions?