PLANNING THE PROJECT

Website:

Guidelines on constructing a project and conducting interviews: http://www.umsl.edu/~wolfordj/courses/a291/oh-procedures-A291.html

4th WEEK'S DISCUSSION:
 

Harleman, Kathleen M, Georgiana B. Stuart, and Susan K. Tepas.  The neighborhood: a history of Skinker-DeBaliviere.  St. Louis: Printed under the auspices of the Residential Service of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council, May, 1973.

 
• Discusses:
• the earliest owners of the land: Madame Mary Louise Chouteau Papin, her heirs, and relatives
• the history of the landmarks: River Des Peres, Forest Park, World's Fair, and the naming of the streets
• history of the subdividing of the area for residential living: 1901-1907
• the shaping of the area: 1908 - 1920
• the undocumented history, or, the “maturing” of the neighborhood: 1920 - 1973

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Fox, Tim.  "Skinker-DeBaliviere."  In Where We Live, ed. Tim Fox (St. Louis: Missouri Historical Society Press, 1995): 128-133.

• Provides a background to the area and its historical/social landmarks.

Wolford, John. "People and Place in Twentieth-Century St. Louis." Gateway Heritage (Spring 1999): 56-62.

• This article explains the objectives and methodologies involved in the ongoing and ambitious neighborhoods project pursued by the Missouri Historical Society.

• Read the article to understand where Skinker-DeBaliviere fits into the picture.

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Donald A. Ritchie, "Starting an oral history project," in Doing Oral History(New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995): 23-26.

• Where does an oral history project begin? (23)

• What kind of goals should an oral history project set? (23-25)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• Should a project set a goal of how many people to interview? (25)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• Is there an optimal number of hours for interviewing each person? (25-26)

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Donald A. Ritchie, "Equipment," in Doing Oral History(New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995): 34-40.

• What basic equipment is needed for an oral history project? (34-35)

• What type of tape lasts the longest? (36)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• What sort of documentation should be kept on each interview? (36-37)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• Where should interviews take place? (37)

• What happens if the equipment fails? (37)

• Is it ever appropriate to interview a group of people together? (38-39)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• Can a team of interviewers conduct an interview together? (39)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• What are the differences in recording events that are still taking place and recording those that are long past? (39-40)

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Donald A. Ritchie, "Legal Concerns," in Doing Oral History(New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995): 51-56.

• Journalists do not use legal release forms for their iterviews; why should oral historians? (51-52)

• Must the interviewer also sign a deed of gift? (52)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• Do interviewees have the right to close their interviews for a long time? (52-53)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• What rights do the interviewees have to publish their own interviews? (53)

• What if someone demands that the tapes and transcripts be returned? (54)

• Can something said in an oral history ever be considered libelous or defamatory? (54)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• What should be done with teh finished interviews? (54-55)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• How do you let people know where to find your projects' oral histories? (55-56)

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The Oral History Association, "Principles and Standards of the Oral History Association," in Donald A. Ritchie, Doing Oral History(New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995): 207-209.

• Three basic sections
• Responsibility to interviewees
• Responsibility to the Public and to the Profession
• Responsibility of Sponsoring and Archiving Institutions

• Read these, know these, and abide by these principles and standards

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