An introduction to oral history projects

Oral history is a technique or methodology for understanding and preserving the experiences, memory, legacy, and cultural heritage of a specific group of people. To create an oral history of a community, people conduct interviews to document someone’s life and their reflections on their experiences. Oral histories are often archived by a historical or archival society for future generations. The Crisfield Oral History Project is part of the broader Chesapeake Coastal Resiliency Solutions Driven Research team’s broader goals to support Crisfield in its flood mitigation efforts. The oral history project will help communities reflect on their past experiences with the environment and flooding, and assist them in identifying goals for efforts to address flooding and environmental change. In this presentation, students at Salisbury University will learn about oral history projects and the mechanics of conducting oral history interviews. 

Impact/Purpose

The Crisfield oral history project will help communities reflect on their past experiences with the environment and flooding, and aid them in identifying goals for efforts to address flooding and environmental change. In this presentation, students at Salisbury University will learn about oral history projects and the mechanics of conducting oral history interviews. Oral history projects play an important role in preserving community narratives and experiences. Training people in oral history methods ensures that such interviews can be conducted ethically, effectively, and with a sense of understanding of the importance of their role in preserving history. By learning these skills, our project collaborators at Salisbury University and the city of Crisfield will be prepared to help document community experiences with flooding and environmental change, foster deeper connections between the community and historical experiences, and contribute to a holistic understanding of the past. Well-conducted oral histories create valuable archives for current and future generations, providing firsthand accounts and data that assist people in making decisions about their communities. 

Citation

Sullivan, A. An introduction to oral history projects. Oral history interview training, Salisbury/Virtual, MD, February 17 - 19, 2025.