ORAL DOCUMENTATION

About this Course

This course provides students with the knowledge and technical skills in carrying out an oral history program. This includes the planning for oral history project, conduct interviews, process interview transcripts, disseminate information on oral history and manage the preservation of oral history collection.

Course Learning Outcomes

4) Perform interviews and observe interview protocols
1) Analyze the importance of oral history as documentation, research, and cultural activity.
2) Conduct the procedures and processes of an oral history project.
3) Manage and preserve oral history collection.

Course Syllabus

+ Course Syllabus

1) Chapter 1: Introduction to oral documentation
1.1 What is oral tradition?
1.2 What is oral history?
1.3 Relationship between oral tradition and oral history
1.4 Why oral documentation is important?
1.5 Evolution of oral documentation in the cultural activities
1.6 Oral history as a research method


2) Chapter 2: Development of oral history program
2.1 Overview
2.2 What is happening in the world?
2.3 What is happening in Malaysia?


3) Chapter 3. Legal and ethical aspects of oral history
3.1 Policies governing legal and ethical aspects of oral history

4) Chapter 4: Structure of oral history program
4.1 Planning and preparation
4.2 The selection of resource person
4.3 Communication
4.4 Interview techniques
4.5 Preparation and editing the transcript
4.6 Technical aspect, e.g. media of interviews and equipment


5) Chapter 5: Medium and recording operation
5.1 Project information
5.2 Voice recording quality


6) Chapter 6: Archival management of oral history resources
6.1 Storage/retrieval
6.2 Dissemination program
6.3 Preservation


7) Chapter 7: Contemporary Issues

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1 : How to begin an oral history project?
A1 : Find out as much as you can about the topics and historical period to be discussed and develop an outline or list of topics to cover in the interview.

Q2 : What are the essential aspects of conducting an oral history project?
A2 : The purpose of the interview, the narrators and the main focus of the project (topic or event).