Let's do oral history: A practical guide; Second Edition

Author: (American) Rich
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: For anyone involved in oral history, whether as an interviewer, interviewee, or user, this book is essential. —Arthur Schlesinger Jr., City University of New York Graduate Center
This book is based on the revised professional standards and principles of the Oral History Association and is an encyclopedic manual on oral history theory, methods, and practice. —BookNews, Inc.
This book goes far beyond its literal meaning; it conveys the author's passion for oral history. Placed in a social and professional context, it will inspire both novices and experts. —American Archivist
This is a well-structured, comprehensive, fluent, approachable, and informative book. I am confident that this valuable guide will satisfy many researchers. —Susan Amtchevitch, Washington State University
The author has presented us with a highly comprehensive, influential, and engaging introduction to oral history. It will serve as a fundamental guide for students and scholars planning to apply oral history, as well as an important resource for readers who simply want to gain knowledge about this increasingly indispensable field of historical research. —Lawrence Levine, George Mason University
Regarding the book title Doing Oral History, the name speaks for itself, with the focus centered on "doing," emphasizing the idea of learning through practice. Therefore, the author meticulously explains how to plan for oral history, how to act, how to secure funding, how to observe and interpret during interviews, how to protect interviewees' copyright, how interviewers can gather useful information through techniques, how to effectively utilize new technologies, how to preserve interview records, tapes, and CDs, and how to use oral history, among other aspects. This makes the book an encyclopedic manual on oral history theory, methods, and practice.
The book's distinctive feature is its question-and-answer format, which uses numerous real-world examples to answer readers' questions in a relaxed, concise, and accurate manner, guiding practitioners to avoid pitfalls and mistakes. What makes the book particularly successful is that readers will realize: everyone can do oral history, and everyone should do oral history.