Oral History in the Digital Age

1. Oral Historyin the Digital Age Rick Shriver Ohio University 2013

2. What is oral history? • The recorded interview, archived as a whole • Once viewed as a supplement to the written history • Documenting how historical events affect individuals • A way to document aspects of history that are neglected • A way to document history of minority populations • Where written tradition may not exist • Now more often viewed as a “primary source” for historical research (like photos, letters, etc.)

3. Why oral history? • The erosion of the written tradition • Less diary keeping, journalizing, letter-writing, preservation • Written form may not capture the nuance and the emotion • Helps young people overcome “historical amnesia” by stimulating interest in historical events • Younger audiences prefer to consume media content is “small doses,” for which oral history is well-suited • Can show the significance of an event on subcultures

4. Crafted oral history • The crafted oral history focuses the content on specific events or specific topics • The interview is directed rather than free from • Combined interviews can be edited “documentary style” • Can show the accumulated significance of events on given populations or individuals

5. Preparation • Understanding oral history • Learning interview skills • Learning the equipment • Researching the local history • Research ethics and obtaining informed consent

6. Informed consent • American Psychological Association, 2010 • the purpose of the research, expected duration, and procedures; • their right to decline to participate and to withdraw from the research once participation has begun; • the foreseeable consequences of declining or withdrawing; • reasonably foreseeable factors that may be expected to influence their willingness to participate such as potential risks, discomfort, or adverse effects; • any prospective research benefits; • limits of confidentiality; • incentives for participation; and • whom to contact for questions about the research and research participants' rights.”

7. Interviewing • Developing the “central research question” • Seeking to bring a variety of perspectives to a common occurrence • Asking open-ended questions, allowing the subjects to talk freely, but bringing back to topic if needed • Monitoring interview fatigue, signs of stress • Photographing the interviewee and relevant materials

8. The technology • The digital recorder • .WAV files • 44,100 Hz • 16-bit

9. The outcome • Full un-edited interviews for archive • Edited crafted oral history focusing on the subject • Photographs • A “video” documentary • Attitudinal change in students