Resources
If you are new to using oral history/life histories as part of your research or are starting a community project which uses oral history/life histories, the OHN can provide guidance on oral history training and practice (interviewing, equipment, transcribing, archiving, ethics and paperwork, etc). As part of Warwick's university community, we can look to source volunteers to help on projects from amongst the student body. We are also keen to hear from you about projects which might form the basis for an event. Our Research page shows some of the projects we have showcased at events and/or have provided assistance to.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch about your project: oralhistorynetwork@warwick.ac.uk
The rest of this page offers a range of useful resources and links.
Suggested Introductory Reading
The following books provide a good introduction into the field of oral history. Most can be found in the Warwick library and their shelf reference is listed alongside their title.
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Abrams, Lynn, Oral History Theory (2nd ed.), (Routledge, London, 2016) [1st edition only available as E-book]
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Bergen, T., Transcribing Oral History, (Routledge, London, 2019).
- Frisch, Michael H., A Shared Authority: Essays on the Craft and Meaning of Oral and Public History, (State University of New York Press, Albany, 2011)
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Janesick, Valerie J., Oral History for the Qualitative Researcher, (Guilford Press, New York, 2010) [D16.253.J26]
- MacKay, Nancy, Curating Oral Histories From Interview to Archive (2nd ed.), (Routledge, London, 2016)
[Z688.O52 M33 and E-book]
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Perks, Robert, Thomson, Alistair (eds), The Oral History Reader, (3rd ed.) (Routledge, London, 2016) [D16.14.O76 and E-book]
- Portelli, Alessandro, The Death of Luigi Trastulli and Other Stories: Form and Meaning in Oral History, (State University of New York Press, Albany, 1991) [D 16.253.P6 and E-book]
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Ritchie, Donald A., The Oxford Handbook of Oral History, (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011) [available as an E-book]
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Thompson, Paul, Bornat, Joanna, The Voice of the Past: Oral History (4th ed.), (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2017) [D16.14.T48 and E-book]
- Yow, Valerie Raleigh, Recording Oral History: a Guide for the Humanities and Social Sciences (3rd ed.), (Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, 2015) [D16.14.Y68]
For a more in-depth oral history bibliography, please refer to the Oral History Society website.
Academic Journals
Oral History (journal of the Oral History Society)
Oral History Forum (journal of the Canadian Oral History Association)
Oral History Review (journal of the Oral History Association)
Oral History Training
The Oral History Society offers a range of training courses, many of which are held at the British Library in London. These range from a beginners Introduction to Oral History through to specific courses on archiving records, transcribing and more.
Return to the Oral History Network home page