1. Making oral histories accessible

2. 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“Oral history interviews are historical documents that are preserved and made accessible to future researchers and members of the public.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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Who transcribes? Interviewer Staff of repository Volunteers
Professional transcriber

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

7. Alternatives
Interview summaries
Tape Logs
Indexing digital files