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PRIMARY SOURCES
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Oral History
As with many other sources, oral histories can be incredibly valuable but still need to be closely examined. Interviews are often done with the elderly with hopes of capturing a person’s life experiences and perspectives before they are lost forever.
The benefits of oral history are that you can learn more about an individual’s history, a particular voice or regional speech patterns, local or cultural traditions, and regional music or folklore. You can also uncover information only that person knows, and find information that will send you in a new research direction.
The downside of oral history is that sometimes a person’s memories is hazy; facts might not be quite correct; people tend to get nostalgic about the past and might idealize their experiences; and some might dramatize his or her experience during certain events.
Even though oral histories can be questionable in their reliability, they are still incredibly valuable resources. As with other secondary sources, use an oral history as a guide and attempt to verify as much information as you can. If you cannot find back-up sources, make sure your writing reflects that the information is one person’s perspective and your citations mention the lack of verifiable evidence.
You Might Learn About:
• Family members and relations
• How long family traditions have been practiced
• What country your grandparents came from
• Family recipes
• Eye-witness accounts during a pivotal moment in history
• Occupations and how people worked
• How your neighborhood has changed over the last century
• Local festivals or celebrations and how they began
Where to Find These Sources
• Talk to family members and neighbors
• Personal family archives
• Transcripts or original recordings at the local history library
• Larger programs might be at universities
• State and local historical societies
• Genealogical societies
For more information, check out:
Making Sense of Oral History
by Linda Shopes at History Matters
Step-by-Step Guide to Oral History
at Do History
Oral History Tutorial
at History Works
The Importance of Oral History
by Lyman D. Platt, PhD
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