People as historical sources
Working with oral sources
Local studies will be enriched if learners are encouraged to interview people. The students of this country could be creating invaluable resources. These interviews could also later be used in the class as oral sources. When working with oral sources learners need to be made aware that:
Memories may be faulty
Older people often remember the past as much better or much worse than the present.
Not everything is remembered and the person might choose not to tell everything s/he remembers.
Although oral sources may be unreliable, they are still useful. They reflect what people believe about events in the past and show how these events have been remembered.
Oral sources should be cross-checked with other types of source
Related Pages:
Next page: Story-telling in History
Previous page: Questions to think about before you do an oral history interview
References
How to conduct & present historical research
Oral history - an educational tool for educators and learners
Source: Unpublished material from 3 Provincial History Conferences, December 2002, supplied by Claire Dyer, SA History Project, National Dept. of Education.