Organizing Oral History Projects

Chapter 4 from Thomas L. Charlton's classic text Oral History for Texans, instructs community organizations and individuals doing community history in planning and executing a successful oral history project.

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Charlton presents the following important considerations for planning and organizing your community oral history project:

• Identifying and setting goals
• Selection of oral history subjects
• Elites and nonelites
• Interview structure: life-review model
• Interview structure: subject-oriented model
• Processing oral history: to transcribe or not to transcribe?
• A few legal considerations
• Ethical considerations
• Preserving oral history