Oral History

Sometimes in person interviews are not possible. Conducting a remote interview comes with its own set of challenges and considerations one must consider:

• What level of technology is your interviewee comfortable with?
• Can you get a quality recording with whatever set up you discuss?
• To what extent will the mediated nature of a remote interview impact the interview overall?

The Oral History Association created a list of resources in the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns; of note is the decision tree [pdf] when considering remote interviewing.

Interested in learning more about remote interviewing? Check out Oral History at a Distance, written by folks at the Baylor University Institute for Oral History and published in 2024 by Routledge. 

Options for recording phone calls. If you are calling via a cell phone:

• Free Conference Call
• Rev Call Recorder (for iphone)
• Google Voice (info on recording calls here)

Tips for phone calls:

• Always test the connection and software prior to conducting the interview. Troubleshoot methods to get the best possible audio quality.
• Ask for interviewee to find a quiet space that will ensure minimal interruptions. Remind them to silence any alarms or things that might go off during the interview.
• Ensure that your cell signal (or wifi) is strong.

Resources for conducting zoom oral history interviews::

• "Zoom for Oral History Projects," from The American Archivist Reviews, by Lauren Kata
• "How to Record in Zoom" from The Race and Oral History Project at UC San Diego
• "Remote Interviewing for Zoom," from the Oral History Center at University of California's Berkeley Library [pdf]
  • July 24, 2020 webinar also from the Oral History Center [youtube]