1. Oral History Dissertation workshop 18 October 2016
Dan Branch

2. Introduction ‘All history was at first oral.’
Oral history as the study of memory rather than a substitution when written sources unavailable.

3. Why oral history? History beyond the archives
Non-literate societies
Marginalised groups (histories from below)
Elites
History of the everyday
History as the study of memory
What’s remembered and forgotten
Rumour

4. Challenges of oral history
Intellectual
What actually happened?
Movement or methodology?
Practical
The interview…
More than words.
Resources
Time

5. The interview Before During After Ethics Research Identifying subjects
Technology
Structure
Setting
Power
After
Transcription
Storage

6. Writing oral history Let your sources speak (within limits)
What do the sources tell you?
Know your sources, written or oral
Creative but rigorous methodology

7. Where next? Department ethics form Oral History Network reading list
OHS ‘Getting Started’
OHA ‘Principles and Best Practice’
IHR ‘Making History’ (for historiography)