Doing Oral History: A Practical Guide

by Donald A. Ritchie

Oral history is vital to our understanding of the cultures and experiences of the past. Unlike written history, oral history forever captures people's feelings, expressions, and nuances of language. But what exactly is oral history? How reliable is the information gathered by oral history? And what does it take to become an oral historian? Donald A. Ritchie, a leading expert in the field, answers these questions and in particular, explains the principles and guidelines created by the Oral History Association to ensure the professional standards of oral historians.
Doing Oral History has become one of the premier resources in oral history. It explores all aspects of the field, from starting an oral history project, including funding, staffing, and equipment to conducting interviews; publishing; videotaping; preserving materials; teaching oral history; and using oral history in museums and on the radio. In this second edition, the author has incorporated new trends and scholarship, updated and expanded the bibliography and appendices, and added a new focus on digital technology and the Internet. Appendices include sample legal release forms and information on oral history organizations.
Doing Oral History is a definitive step-by-step guide that provides advice and explanations on how to create recordings that illuminate human experience for generations to come. Illustrated with examples from a wide range of fascinating projects, this authoritative guide offers clear, practical, and detailed advice for students, teachers, researchers, and amateur genealogists who wish to record the history of their own families and communities.

Genres: History, Oral History, Nonfiction, Grad School, Library Science, Textbooks, Education

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1994

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great guide to all aspects of conducting an oral history program, presented in a "frequently asked questions" format. Chapters include initiating a project, conducting interviews, using oral history as a research tool, archiving oral histories and incorporating video. There are a few topics in which I'd like to see a little more detail, but Ritchie does include information on other resources where that detail may be available.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, which I read for my graduate course on Oral History, is an exhaustive resource for beginning oral historians. Ritchie runs through a wide variety of topics relating to oral history, from basic information on how to conduct interviews to details on the ways in which oral history has been used in museum exhibits and the related drawbacks and advantages. It is not an exciting book, but it is an incredibly useful one. However, for an updated version of this text, it does still seem a little focused on mini discs. I have nothing against the technology, but by 2003, when this edition was published, the format was well on its way out.

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doing Oral History is a useful, solid and applicable guide. This second edition, published in 2003, has woven the web into the discussion. That means the 'tape recorder' has gone, but the capacity of MP3s and the ease of editing, storage and dissemination are not fully revealed.

However this is a great guide through the strengths, weaknesses and methodological challenges of oral history. Chapter Seven - Teaching Oral History - is particularly noteworthy. There is attention to all levels of education, including using oral history in undergraduate university courses.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A primer on the methodology of oral history, “Doing Oral History” should be a handbook for anyone interested in recording perspectives of those in their communities in addition to formal scholarship. Formatted as Q&A, this book can be read either cover to cover or as a refresh on various topics. Due to the rapid changes in technological advances, this edition (2015) is already reaching the end of its life and is in need of a refresh regarding the use of updated technologies.

[Valerie Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very useful book. It's handily arranged, and ample subheadings make it an easy reference book that I'm sure I'll turn back to. I appreciated the mix of practical information, theory, and examples. I do wish that he had included more precise tips of how to get other people to use your oral histories once they're complete. He went over how they could be used, but not much in terms of bridging the gap between oral historians and other content producers/community organizers/media/institutions.

[Magen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course, this edition is a bit outdated, but it otherwise contains pertinent information that all oral historians need to get started. The first half of the book on technique and methodology still stands up regardless of how outdated this is, but at about the halfway point I find the book rather unnecessary, long-winded, and subjective to the author's priorities. Still the appendices are useful, and I highly recommend this book to my volunteers coming onto the project I manage.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I read this for a class, but as a new-to-interviewing student in a graduate class of seasoned pros, this book was incredibly helpful! It's genuinely interesting, although I would have definitely read bits and pieces here and there if I wasn't working by due dates.

Happy reading!
~Katie

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a book for the general reader but for anyone interested in taking part in an oral history project, this book does what it sets out to do. Its a quality guide that talks about how to set up a project, how to conduct interviews, philosophical questions on ethics and methods, how to do a school or college oral history project, and how to archive or present the final outcome.

[Yunis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is presented in question and answer format stimulated in oral history way. The question presented are good and stimulate both a thought before reading the question and the way answer giving. I Cannot lie if I some questions that I did not find helpful

[Serge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going to use this book to teach my Immigrants in American History students to conduct oral history interviews.

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have done a couple of ‘oral history’ interviews and thought this book would give me more insight or some suggestions of how to do - or to do better - interviews.

The Cover said “Doing Oral History - A Practical Guide - Using interviews to uncover the past and preserve it for the future”.

I made a mistake.

Out of the 318 pages, I estimate there were about 10-11 pages that I found useful in the entire book.

That doesn’t mean the book is worthless. It is more of a history of oral history and directed toward those who will be working on large size projects; projects for universities, business organizations, the government.

Me? I just wanted more info on doing one person - family type oral history.

I also should have noted the fact that it was written 12 years ago - much of the material is dated.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and thoughtful. Good stuff.

[Starbubbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great guide for learning how to do oral history.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource, especially for those (like myself) who have no prior experience with oral history.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An introduction to the practice and use of oral history

[Lboogiepeace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the core text for oral historians. A classic.