Written records do not always offer a comprehensive picture of the lives and motivations of people and events that have shaped society and its institutions. The University of British Columbia's administrative records, acquired by the University Archives over the years, document the development of the University, its programs, and its policies. However, the decisions which have shaped UBC were made by people – and the official records often do not tell much about what guided their decisions, or what motivated them to make the choices they made. While oral history cannot take the place of the written institutional record, it can provide a means of validating and confirming it. Oral history can serve to "fill the gaps", especially if the existing record is incomplete – or even be the only record where no written documentation exists.
An oral history program based at the University Archives will record the recollections and personal insights of people – both students and faculty – associated with the University. As time passes, more of these unique perspectives will be lost as those involved in the historic events which shaped UBC pass from the scene. It is therefore important to establish a program to interview these people and record their memories and insights for the benefit of both historical researchers and the University community.
These recorded narratives will supplement the primary research materials currently available in the Archives. They will also provide social and cultural information – clues to the social and cultural contexts in which the University exists and has evolved – not available elsewhere. This will become especially important once the "University History Project" is established. Access to a comprehensive collection of oral history materials, together with the existing written and audio-visual records, will ensure that the Project's goal of a definitive history of the University is met.
Finally, oral history can serve the University in a more concrete way. Archival records often serve as source material for institutional publications and promotions. Oral history recordings can supplement these records by "personalising" history – fleshing out the "bare bones" provided by the existing written records.
Both of the university-based oral history programs that were contacted directly receive funding from various sources. The program at the University of New South Wales was initially funded in 1980 by the university administration – it was a part-time contract position which later became permanent and full-time. Currently, project funding is secured from various bodies, including UNSW's alumni services, the international office, a university fund-raising group, the faculties, and external funding bodies. For faculty-funded projects, the faculty usually approaches the program to pay for a specific documentation project.
At Utah State University, the oral history program is funded through the Department of Theatre Arts (the program's parent office), the university, and a special grant process involving outreach for the state of Utah (many program activities are not centred in the collection of oral history, but in the promotion of oral heritage and storytelling – the program's new official name is the Oral Heritage Program). The program is currently planning additional fund-raising activities, including "elite oral history evenings" (dignitaries from various fields are interviewed publicly, and admission is charged), a storytelling concert series (a well-known singer-songwriter plays and tells stories between songs), and a play based on oral history. They are also seeking funding from the Utah Humanities Council for improved storage facilities for tapes and transcripts.
Also, at George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) the University Archives collaborates with the Development Office. Oral history interviews with retired faculty and alumni provides opportunities to renew contact with these potential donors. In exchange, the Development Office offers financial and administrative support to the Archives' oral history program [this information is derived from a posting on the Archives and Archivists electronic mailing list from 1995, maintained on the list's Web site].
Based on these examples, the University Archives should be able to call upon similar sources within the UBC community for both financial support and administrative backing for its own oral history project. Some obvious potential sources of funding are the President's Office, the Development Office, the Department of History, the Alumni Association, and the Alma Mater Society. External funding might also be available – through grant programs, for example.
In planning the project, one issue that will have to be addressed is the question of what will become of the tapes. For example, will the recorded interviews be transcribed? Transcribing is very expensive and time consuming – however, having transcripts allows for easy browsing and direct quotation by researchers. Also, in the long-term, paper-based documents may be more stable than magnetic media.
At UNSW the policy is that transcripts are done to aid researchers. If the interview is short, the interviewer does the transcription him/herself. Otherwise, a professional transcriber is hired to process the tapes, with the interviewer checking and correcting the transcript. If there is no money available to do proper transcriptions, the interviewer does an abbreviated transcript, consisting of a time log, with interviewer's questions, summaries of the subject's responses, and some "quotable quotes". The Utah State program sometimes hires students to transcribe taped interviews – otherwise the transcriptions are made in-house.
If transcripts are made, the first draft should be sent to the interview for corrections of names, dates, and missing or mis-heard words (this is done at UNSW). Not only does this make the transcript more accurate, it prevents embarrassing errors, and is a sign of courtesy to the subject for taking the time to do the interview.
Another issue to be determined is how the interviews will be made available to researchers. Will they be inventoried? Will they be indexed, and how – by interviewee name, interview topic(s), subject heading? If transcripts are made, will they also be indexed? Will researchers be allowed the choice of listening/viewing tapes or reading transcripts, or will they be limited to one or the other? Which transcripts should be made available – the original or the edited versions? Whatever is decided, the project budget must provide for making the interviews available to researchers and staff.
It is also important, before each interview, to acquire ownership and copyright of the interview from the subject, and to agree upon conditions of access and use. It is essential to assure subjects that their rights, both during the interview and with respect to the recordings, will be respected. A legal agreement must be signed to assign copyright to the Archives, to release the subject's rights to the tape(s) and any transcripts so that they can be legally deposited in the Archives, and to protect subjects' interests – if necessary through mutually-agreed-upon restrictions on access and use.
UNSW's oral history program has two sample forms on its Web site – an access and use agreement, and an assignment of copyright form. Several other examples have been posted to the "Archives and Archivists" e-mail list, and are maintained on the list's Web site. Regardless of which form is adopted, it would be prudent to have them reviewed by UBC Legal Affairs.
There are also some equipment-related issues that should be addressed. One is to decide between audio and video recording of interviews. Basically, audio-recording is cheaper. Also, some interviewees may feel more comfortable being audio-taped instead of filmed. On the other hand, video-recording works well if two or more subjects are being interviewed at once, or if artifacts with a visual appeal such as pictures or scrapbooks are being shown.
Another equipment-related question is whether to use hand-held or clip-on microphones. The advantage of clip-ons is that they tend to be less obtrusive, especially for the interviewees. The advantage of a hand-held microphone is that it can be directed to pick up the speaker's voice – this is important if the interviewer is prompting the subject with questions.
The project budget should provide for the following items: tapes (video and/or audio), recording equipment, transcription equipment, batteries for the equipment, stationery and other office supplies, and storage equipment (shelving and filing cabinets) for tapes, transcriptions, and project files. If additional staff are hired for the project, their salaries will also have to be included. Staff activities will include background research for each interview subject, interviewing, transcribing, editing transcripts, and indexing tapes and interviews.
The UNSW program recommends that project documentation should include a name index file: a card index or database with each entry containing the name of the subject, the interviewer, the date and place of the interview, relevant personal details about the subject, major topics of discussion, whether any restrictions apply to the interview, notes. An interview file should also be opened for each interview, to hold research information and sources, signed legal agreements, lists of interview topics, correspondence, lists of photos or other memorabilia used in the interview, and an outline of the interview (if no transcript is made). The transcripts, including both the original and edited versions, should be filed in their own series.
At the beginning of the project, build a list of likely interview subjects. Collect background information on these people prior to their interviews, or even prior to the initial contact. Preparing adequately for the initial contact, as well as for the actual interview, is important. Collect and compile background material about the subject – from this information, derive potential interview questions or areas of discussion. Possible topics include the interviewee's schooling at UBC (academic choices, courses, and areas of interest); how the subject's career and life choices were influenced by his/her time at UBC; contemporary campus events and the subject's involvement in them; and memorable characters and incidents. Once interview topics and questions are decided upon, determine the general structure of the interview.
Once contact is made and the subject agrees to be interviewed, a preliminary interview may be arranged. This allows discussion of potential topics, and gives the interviewer an opportunity to look at photos, artifacts, and other documentary material the subject might want to show. This may provide more ideas for questions, and will help the interviewer determine whether audio or video recording would be more appropriate.
The preliminary interview also provides an opportunity to discuss and sign the required legal agreements, avoiding misunderstandings and potential legal trouble later. Always explain to the subject that the purpose of the oral history project is to document the history of UBC, and that therefore the interview ideally should be made available to researchers without restrictions. If the subject is reluctant to allow unrestricted access (e.g. to avoid potential embarrassment to family or friends), setting a short-term restriction of 5 to 10 years, with a set end-date, is a common solution.
Schedule sufficient time for the interview itself (about a half-day). This should allow enough time for setting up recording equipment, and then testing it (check lighting if the session is being videotaped, make sure there is no background noise that might make the subject's words unintelligible), as well as for the interview itself. The interview should take 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If it takes longer it could be divided into two or more sessions, to prevent wearying both the subject and the interviewer. Allow time afterwards for social visiting with the subject (if invited), and for packing up the equipment.
Interviewing two people at once – such as former classmates, or a husband and wife who met while at UBC – can be very effective. The interaction between them can add to the dynamism to the recording. For example, the subjects can prompt each other – if one forgets something, the second might remember or help jog the other's memory.
Begin the interview with easy and/or non-controversial questions, to put the subject at ease. Save any potentially "sensitive" questions for later, when the interviewee is more relaxed and you are both better acquainted. Follow the planned structure of the interview, but be alert for new areas of discussion – be flexible as to the course it takes. Also, and importantly, ask questions that require more than "yes/no" answers. Ideally, the interview should evolve as a series of stories told by the subject and prompted by short questions from the interviewer.