What are the benefits and drawbacks of using oral history for historical research?

1 Benefits of oral history

One of the main benefits of oral history is that it can provide a rich and diverse perspective on the past, especially from the viewpoints of marginalized, oppressed, or underrepresented groups. Oral history can reveal the personal experiences, emotions, opinions, values, and beliefs of people who may not have left written records or who may have been excluded from official histories. Oral history can also capture the complexity and diversity of human lives, as well as the context and meaning of historical events. Oral history can help historians to understand how people made sense of their own history, how they shaped and were shaped by their social and cultural environments, and how they interacted with other people and groups.

2 Drawbacks of oral history

One of the main drawbacks of oral history is that it can be affected by various factors that may compromise its reliability and validity. Oral history relies on the memory and recall of the interviewees, which can be influenced by time, age, trauma, bias, emotion, motivation, self-image, and social expectations. Oral history can also be affected by the relationship and interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee, which can create power dynamics, expectations, misunderstandings, or distortions. Oral history can also be challenged by the lack of corroborating evidence, the difficulty of verifying or cross-checking the information, and the ethical and legal issues of consent, ownership, access, and preservation.

3 How to overcome the drawbacks

Despite the drawbacks, oral history can still be a beneficial and valid method of historical research provided some precautions and strategies are applied. To overcome the drawbacks, it is essential to prepare for the interview by doing background research, choosing appropriate questions, establishing rapport, and obtaining informed consent. Furthermore, the interview should be conducted in a respectful, ethical, and professional manner by listening attentively, avoiding leading or biased questions, clarifying ambiguities, and recording accurately. Analyzing the interview critically and carefully is also necessary; this includes transcribing, indexing, annotating, and interpreting the data using multiple sources and methods while acknowledging any limitations or biases. Finally, sharing and preserving the interview should be done responsibly and respectfully by following ethical and legal guidelines, obtaining permission, protecting privacy, and storing securely.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?