Qualitizing Oral History Works-1
Mahya Hafezi
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi
2023-9-21
The Iranian Oral History Website has conducted short conversations with some experts and practitioners on the topic of how to improve oral history books or memoirs, the results of which will be presented to the readers in the form of short notes and in several parts.
■ Linking photo and appendix documents to the book text
The selection of photos and documents at the end should be related to the contents of the book. To improve quality of the work, it is suggested to link these photos and documents to the text. It is better to include the page number of the text in the caption of the photo and document; put also number of the document or related photo in parentheses in the main body so that the audience can easily access it.
■ Detailed descriptions for photos and documents
Captions are necessary for photos and documents in the book; but the more accurate this caption, the higher quality of the work will be. In addition to linking the photo and document to the text, and providing the identity information of the photo and document, there are subtler points that should be considered. Observing these points will increase the audience's research connection with the book.
■ Typesetting the document text
The text of some documents is illegible and will cause the researcher to use them less. Typesetting the text will increase quality of the work.
■ Indexing and commentary
In order to attract researchers more to the oral history book, it is necessary to carefully index the book. The more the content index of the book, the higher its research rank will be. In the index, names of people and places are always present; But you can add other lists to it according to content of the book. For example, for an oral history book on the topic of Holy Defense, indexes of operations, terms, weapons, names of martyrs, etc. can also be prepared.
To be continued...
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We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week. The goal of this project is to open new doors to an issue and promote scientific discussions in the field of oral history.The Importance of Pre-Publication Critique of Oral History Works
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After years of studying the theoretical foundations of oral history, conducting numerous interviews and going through their post-interview stages, as well as reading the available body of oral history literature, I was eventually given the opportunity to evaluate the edited versions of dozens of oral history projects.Comparing the Narratives of Commanders and Ordinary Combatants in the Sacred Defense
An Analysis of Functions and ConsequencesThe experience of the Sacred Defense cannot be comprehended merely through statistics or official reports; what truly endures from war are the narratives of those who stood upon its frontlines. These narratives, however, vary significantly depending on one’s position, responsibilities, and lived experience.
