Making oral histories accessible

OHA Standard “Oral history interviews are historical documents that are preserved and made accessible to future researchers and members of the public. This preservation and access may take a variety of forms, reflecting changes in technology. But, in choosing a repository or form, oral historians consider how best to preserve the original recording and any transcripts made of it and to protect the accessibility and usability of the interview. The plan for preservation and access, including any possible dissemination through the web or other media, is stated in the informed consent process and on release forms.” OHA, Practices and Standards

Pros Clarifies difficult to understand sections Easy to edit and annotate Provides correct spelling of names and places Can be used as an index of the audio Is user friendly (easy, fast, no equipment needed) Is a preservation format

Cons Can be misleading—can’t capture sarcasm, irony, or other nuances Can discourage listening to the original recording Is expensive (labor and time) Is challenging to archive Is less necessary in digital age

Who transcribes? Interviewer Staff of repository Volunteers Professional transcriber

An ideal transcript Follow a transcription protocol Type with consistent formatting Audit-check Verify facts Verify spellings and proper names

Alternatives Interview summaries Tape Logs Indexing digital files