This presentation gives a brief overview of techniques and best practices for recording oral histories. Geared towards undergraduate students

Bakker, Rebecca

English

DigitalCommons@Florida International University

Florida International UniversityFIU Digital CommonsWorks of the FIU Libraries FIU Libraries3-2017Recording oral historiesRebecca BakkerFlorida International UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/glworksPart of the Library and Information Science Commons, and the Oral History CommonsThis work is brought to you for free and open access by the FIU Libraries at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Works of theFIU Libraries by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact dcc@fiu.edu.Recommended CitationBakker, Rebecca, "Recording oral histories" (2017). Works of the FIU Libraries. 63.https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/glworks/63RECORDING	ORAL	HISTORIESRebecca	BakkerDigital	Collections	Librarianrbakker@fiu.edu	/	ph.	305-348-6485INTERVIEW	TIPS• Have	a	“lead”!		The	lead	should	consist	of,	at	least,	the	names	of	narrator	and	interviewer,	day	and	year	of	session,	interview’s	location,	and	proposed	subject	of	the	recording.• If	interviewing	a	veteran,	identify	what	war	and	branch	of	service	he/she	served	in,	what	was	his/her	rank,	and	where	he/she	served.INTERVIEW	TIPS	(Continued)• Immediately	after	the	interview,	write	down	your	notes.		Add	some	context,	biographical	information	on	the	interviewee,	or	anything	that	will	help	the	audience	or	transcriber	understand	the	interview.		Make	a	quick	summary.		This	may	be	used	to	create	an	abstract	that	can	be	used	as	a	finding	aid	later.• Obtain	release	forms!		It	does	not	need	to	be	a	complicated	legal	document,	just	one	that	clearly	tells	the	interviewee	what	will	happen	to	their	interview.		Include	the	interviewee’s	name,	date,	signature	and	make	sure	it	includes	a	statement	of	permission.		Keep	copies.• Make	digital	copies,	and	make	sure	copies	are	being	preserved	within	accepted	best	practices.VIDEO	OR	AUDIO?• Best	practices	- video	is	great,	but	audio	is	the	most	important	part.• “Oral	historians	should	use	the	best	digital	recording	equipment	within	their	means	to	reproduce	the	narrator’s	voice	accurately	and	if	appropriate,	other	sounds	as	well	as	visual	images.”• Audio	is	the	most-used	oral	history	recording	format	and	is	less	complicated	to	use	and	arrange	for.		It	also	may	make	your	interviewee	more	comfortable.		However,	video	has	the	added	benefit	of	adding	context	and	meaning	to	the	spoken	word,	and	can	give	the	viewer	a	greater	sense	of	the	speaker.RECORDING	THE	INTERVIEW• Make	sure	interviewee	is	comfortable• Know	your	equipment	beforehand• Quiet	room	– really	be	aware	of	ambient	noise	(fans,	lawnmowers,	traffic,	cell	phones)• Agree	to	the	length	of	time,	and	keep	track.		Make	sure	you	can	record	that	long	on	your	device!	• Ideally,	one	cut• Make	sure	your	device	is	plugged	in	or	has	enough	battery	life• Know	how	to	get	the	audio/video	file	off	device	and	on	to	a	computer• Make	backup	copies	immediatelyVIDEO	TIPS• Frame	your	shot	and	pay	attention	to	lighting	on	the	interviewee’s	face• Helpful	if	your	shot	gets	a	sense	of	the	person	in	context	of	their	surroundings• Continually	check	your	shot,	as	people	shift	out	of	the	frame• When	possible,	use	an	external	mic• Use	a	tripod	or	make	sure	camera	is	in	a	secure	position• Know	how	to	edit	the	settings	of	your	video• Practice/test	before	recording!IF	USING	A	SMARTPHONE• Put	it	on	airplane	mode!• Make	sure	you	have	enough	internal	storage	for	the	file	size• Be	careful	of	apps	that	may	violate	privacy	of	interviewee• Make	sure	there	are	no	time	limits	to	record	video/audio• Know	how	to	get	the	file	off	your	phoneRECOMMENDED	DATA	FORMATS	FOR	AUDIO/VIDEO	PRESERVATION	PURPOSES	Media High	Confidence	Level Medium	Confidence	Level Low	Confidence	LevelAudio AIFF (PCM)	(*.aif,	*.aiff)	WAV (PCM)	(*.wav)SUN	Audio	(uncompressed)	(*.au)	Standard	MIDI	(*.mid,	*.midi)	Ogg Vorbis (*.ogg)	Free	Lossless	Audio	Codec	(*.flac)	Advance	Audio	Coding	(*.mp4,	*.m4a,	*.aac)MP3	(MPEG-1/2,	Layer	3)	(*.mp3)AES3	(LPCM)	(*.aes)AIFC	(compressed)	(*.aifc)NeXT	SND	(*.snd)RealNetworks	'Real	Audio'	(*.ra,	*.rm,	*.ram)	Windows	Media	Audio	(*.wma)	Protected	AAC	(*.m4p)	WAV	(compressed)	(*.wav)	All	other	audio	formats	not	 listed	hereVideo AVI (uncompressed,	motion	JPEG)	(*.avi)MOV QuickTime	Movie	(uncompressed,	motion	JPEG)	(*.mov)MPEG-4	(H.264)	(*.mp4,	wrapped	in	AVI,	MOV)Ogg Theora (*.ogg)	- MPEG-1,	MPEG-2	(*.mpg,	*.mpeg,	wrapped	in	AVI,	MOV)	Motion	JPEG	2000	(ISO/IEC	15444-4)	(*.mj2)	AVI	(others)	(*.avi)	QuickTime	Movie	(others)	(*.mov)RealNetworks 'Real	Video'	(*.rv)	Windows	Media	Video	(*.wmv)	Flash	Video	(*.flv)	All	other	video	formats	not	 listed	hereRECOMMENDED	DATA	FORMATS	FOR	VIDEO	PRESERVATION	PURPOSES	Preferred:• codecs:		uncompressed	lossless• bit	depth:		24	bits	per	sample• height	and	width:		minimum	720x486	pixels	at	30	frames	per	second• sampling	rate:	minimum	sample	rate	of	44.1	KHz,	although	sampling	at	96	KHz	is	encouragedNot	preferred:• Files	created	for	"streaming"	broadcast	(e.g.	RealAudio,	Windows	Media)	-these	files	sacrifice	quality	for	file	size.	They	are	often	reduced	from	high-resolution	files	by	removing	high	and	low	frequency	ranges	and	compressing	the	remaining	signal.Audio/Video	Processing	&	ConversionTRANSCRIPTION	WORKSHOP• Monday,	March	27th at	2:00	pm	in	Digital	Scholars	StudioWHY	TRANSCRIBE?• Accessibility	- aiding	researchers/viewers	in	quickly	skimming	and	assessing	the	relevance	of	an	interview		• Helping	researchers/viewers	comprehend	voices	on	the	recording	that	are	difficult	to	hear	or	understand• Providing	the	means	for	a	full-text	search,	which	may	be	the	best	ways	for	search	engines	to	find	the	material	onlineHOW	TO	RECORD	AN	ORAL	HISTORY	INTERVIEWhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTCzxWt1RQkReferences• http://ohda.matrix.msu.edu/2012/06/using-video-in-oral-history/• http://www.loc.gov/vets/pdf/mediaformat-fieldkit-2013.pdf• http://www.oralhistory.org/about/principles-and-practices/• https://libraries.flvc.org/documents/181844/502298/Recommended+Data+Formats/0b25496f-33ac-4f56-9550-12c34f3d5d7c• https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/policy/transfer-guidance-tables.html#digitalmovingimages

Recording oral histories

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Recording oral histories

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