Article Review

Sommer, B. W. & Quinlan, M. K., (2002). The oral history manual. Walnut Creek, CA: AlltaMira. Pgs. 1-20.
Oral history is a collection of information of first-hand experiences. It should not be confused with recorded reminiscences about “the good old days.” As Sommer and Quinlan point out, “the purpose of the oral history is to obtain detailed and lengthy responses to open-ended questions.” (p.3). Oral histories can fill in the blanks of previously recorded information or bring to light new information or deeper dimensions. Oral histories are generally one of two categories:
1) Life Interview which is usually multiple sessions with one person, or 2) Oral History Project which focuses on an event or specific topic and uses interview of multiple people.

Although there is some doubt about the reliability of information mined in an oral history, oral historians believe that a thoughtful, well designed interview can be a valuable and reliable source of new and/or expanded information. Many factors affect an oral history interview. For example, how the interviewer and the narrator interact can have an effect on the results. Also whether the event being explored happened in the distant or recent past may have an effect on the narrator’s memory. Many different entities are interested in oral histories—historical organizations, communities, teachers, government agencies, public and private organizations, and families to name a few.

Considerable planning and organization goes into an oral history. Besides the obvious of determining who to interview, one also must consider key personnel, budgeting of both time and money, location and equipment for the interview, background research, and interview questions prior to conducting the interview. There are also legal and ethical matters to consider. Copyright, consent forms, documentation and ownership of the final product are just some of the issues that need to be addressed.