700 Issues, 15 Years of Narrative

A Statistical Glance at the Oral History Archive of Iran

Iranian Oral History Website
Translated by Kianoosh Borzouei

2025-8-25

The Oral History Weekly, an electronic periodical that commenced its regular publication in November 2010, now stands on the threshold of releasing its 700th issue. Published every Wednesday, the newsletter consolidates all content posted on the Oral History website over the preceding week and circulates it to more than 850 subscribers via email. This report—drawing upon statistical data from content published on the Persian section of the website between November 2010 and August 2025—seeks to examine the performance of the platform. Its aim is to present a statistical portrait of the volume and nature of content produced, while also identifying the most popular themes—insights that may serve as a guiding light for future editorial planning.

Content Distribution Across Categories

Over the years, the website has gathered a rich and diverse corpus of materials, spanning numerous thematic categories. This diversity reflects the platform’s comprehensive approach to capturing the multifaceted dimensions of oral history. According to the data, the number of published items in each category is as follows:

News: 1,039 items

Books and Periodicals: 960 items

Reports: 756 items

Footnotes: 705 items

Articles: 706 items

Interviews: 464 items

Multimedia: 448 items

Memoirs: 442 items

Educational Content: 247 items

Conferences: 183 items

Editorial Notes: 89 items

Photographs: 14 items

Most Viewed Content and Audience Preferences

An analysis of readership statistics reveals which subjects and titles have garnered the greatest attention.

Memoirs

Within this category, readers exhibit a pronounced interest in “untold accounts” and “contradictory narratives.” The remarkable popularity of the interview with Parviz Sabeti exemplifies this curiosity—reflecting the public’s desire to hear from individuals who once stood at the epicenter of power or held unconventional perspectives. Equally compelling are the memoirs of military figures and war heroes, which recount personal and emotional encounters with historic events. This interplay—between politically charged, controversial recollections and heroic wartime memories—underscores the audience’s appetite for both the hidden and the celebrated dimensions of contemporary history.

Top-Viewed Items:

• Interview with Parviz Sabeti After 33 Years of Silence — 34,499 views
• 6410: Memoirs of 18 Years in Captivity — 21,150 views
• Shall We Humble Saddam? — 14,025 views
• The Struggle for Survival: Survivors of the Peykan Corvette in the Persian Gulf — 13,705 views
• Radio in the Mirror of Memories — 12,690 views
• Selected Memoirs of Kermanshah Retirees — 12,517 views
• Our Lessons from Martin Luther King — 12,360 views
• The Separation of Bahrain from Iran: A Memory from General Fereydoun Jam — 11,876 views
• The Hezbollah School in the Memoirs of Seyed Ali Mirfatah — 11,549 views
• Memoir of Amir Aslan Afshar: Chief of Royal Court Protocol — 11,343 views

Books and Periodicals

The principal attraction of this category lies in its distinct vantage points. Readers wish to witness war through the eyes of the adversary (Confessions of an Iraqi Officer), to perceive the life of a hero through the words of his wife (Memoirs of Zhila Badihiyan), and to glimpse political history as narrated by a woman of the Pahlavi court (Taj al-Molouk). This interest reflects a desire for perspectives that transcend official and formulaic accounts; first-hand, detail-rich narratives are what the audience values most. They seek history not as a sterile and formal chronicle, but as a dialogue—an intimate, human experience.

Most Viewed:

• Our Crimes in Khorramshahr: Confessions of an Iraqi Staff Lieutenant Colonel — 49,283 views
• Memoirs of Zhila Badihiyan about Her Husband, Martyr Haj Ebrahim Hemmat — 37,729 views
• The School of Islamic Historiography — 20,946 views
• Memoirs of First Captain Houshang Samadi — 20,257 views
• Memoirs of Taj al-Molouk — 19,049 views
• Notable Iranians: Men and Women Who Built Modern Iran — 18,874 views
• The Battle of Semirom—The British, the Qashqai, and the Second World War — 18,076 views
• A Genealogy of the Left in Iran — 17,530 views
• Memoirs of Ghade Jaber about Her Husband, Martyr Chamran — 16,591 views
• The Alam Diaries (Volume VII) — 16,286 views

News

The most-read items in this section are a combination of domestic updates relating to the website itself (calls for collaboration, surveys) and introductions to books and events tied to contemporary history. This pattern suggests that the readership is both a loyal and engaged community for the platform, and keen to keep abreast of the latest publications and events in the oral history field—particularly regarding the Iran–Iraq War. The high readership of these pieces also indicates that the audience is not merely passive consumers of content; they are active participants eager to contribute to content creation and to feel part of an intellectual community.

Most Viewed:

• Call for Collaboration — 31,322 views
• Invitation to Collaborate with the Electronic Encyclopedia of the Sacred Defense — 20,312 views
• Introducing Martyr Hossein Edbian through “The Man Who Vanished at Peak” — 10,272 views
• Publication of the Book “Martyr Hassan Bagheri” — 9,384 views
• Narrator and Narration — 8,723 views
• Ezzat Shahi’s Memoirs as a Portrait of the Past for the Future — 8,483 views
• Weekly Newsletter Subscription Survey — 8,374 views
• Voltaire’s Historical Reputation in Iran and Iranians’ Perceptions — 8,236 views
• Xenophon’s “Cyropaedia” as a Model for Educating Aristocratic Greek Children — 8,231 views
• What Is the Purpose of Oral History? — 8,110 views

Interviews

The primary source of appeal in this category lies in first-person, personal accounts that transform war heroes from symbolic figures into flesh-and-blood human beings. Interviews with pilots and combatants, who recount the emotions and fine details of operations, are particularly sought after. Additionally, interviews with members of the Pahlavi family or its inner circle demonstrate the audience’s desire to understand history from the perspective of those within the corridors of power. The popularity of dark, unflinching narratives (The Bitter Taste of Disability in War Veterans) indicates that readers do not shy away from confronting the painful truths of history.

Most Viewed:

• No One Knew I Was Alive — 41,600 views
• Pilots of the Largest Aerial Battle in the World — 31,612 views
• Remembering Martyr Abdolhossein Borunsi in a Conversation with His Son, Mehdi Borunsi — 28,016 views
• The Hidden Half of a Legend — 27,665 views
• The Iran–Russia Wars — 26,280 views
• Interview with Esmat al-Molouk Dowlatshahi — 22,273 views
• The Third Solution and the Principle of Surprise in Time — 21,370 views
• I Said, “Sir, I Don’t Recognize You!” — 19,358 views
• The Bitter Taste of Disability in War Veterans — 18,627 views
• The Application of Geography in History — 18,496 views

Reports

In this section, readers display a particular empathy for reports that delve into profound and underexplored subjects. Family tragedies within the Pahlavi court (The Suicide of Alireza Pahlavi) and the lesser-seen dimensions of war (The War of the Cities, Student Martyrs) rank among the most popular topics. Equally notable is the readership’s engagement with reports that analyze the methodology of oral history and its intersection with documentary practices—signaling both intellectual maturity and a curiosity about the processes of historiography. These two interests complement each other: audiences wish not only to hear the story, but also to understand how that story is gathered, constructed, and interpreted.

Most Viewed:

• Another Suicide in the Pahlavi Family — 22,289 views
• I Wanted to Work for Myself: A Secret That Should Never Have Been Revealed — 14,463 views
• Sacred Defense in the City: From Photograph to Text — 14,261 views
• Skill and Bravery of Pilots as Told in Memoirs — 13,495 views
• Research on Student Martyrs Awaiting Funding — 11,655 views
• A Review of Several Works on Martyr Boroujerdi — 11,415 views
• Visual Reminiscence of the Life and Character of Seyed Mehdi Ghavam — 11,234 views
• Khorramshahr and Seyed Saleh Mousavi in Oral Histories — 10,908 views
• The Grand Bazaar of Tehran — 10,829 views
• The Harvard Oral History Project Under Critique — 10,586 views

Conferences

In this category, readers are drawn to opportunities for engagement and deeper understanding of historical discourse. The popularity of conference-related content suggests that audiences seek more than just reading—they wish to hear directly from researchers, exchange perspectives, and participate in environments dedicated to historiography and oral history. This interest reflects a social and communal tendency, where live events serve as a channel for exposure to the latest research and narratives.

Most Viewed:

• Oral History in Iran: Current State and Methods — 11,590 views
• Report on the Fifth Specialized Oral History Meeting — 9,878 views
• Introduction to Articles from the Fourth Oral History Conference — 9,780 views
• Call for Papers: “The Place of Memory and the Memory of Place” — 9,455 views
• The How and Why of Oral History — 9,413 views
• Safeguarding the Meaning and Concept of Oral History — 9,270 views
• Challenges Facing Oral History in Iran — 9,199 views
• An Examination of Colonel Mohammad-Taqi Khan Pessian’s Life and Deeds — 9,058 views
• Behind the Curtain of Written Records — 8,671 views
• Conference on Qajar-Era Iran (Abstracts) — 8,666 views
•  

Articles

This section speaks to the deepest intellectual layer of the readership—political and philosophical analysis. The most widely read articles tackle controversial issues such as the execution of Pahlavi generals after the Revolution, the lives of marginal figures in the royal court, and foundational questions about the philosophy of history. Here, the audience seeks to probe the roots of events and the underlying motives behind them, unafraid of grappling with expansive, existential questions. The popularity of a piece like Why Do We Study History? reveals that readers are not mere consumers of historical narratives—they are actively reflecting on their own relationship to the past and its bearing on their future.

Most Viewed:

• The Execution of the First Pahlavi-Era Generals: Nassiri, Rahimi, Khosrowdad, and Naji — 139,200 views
• A Look at the Life of Parvin Ghaffari, on the Occasion of Her Death — 111,481 views
• Why Do We Study History? — 59,030 views
• Maryam Firouz: Defiance Against an Aristocratic Environment — 39,137 views
• The Teaching of History in Iran and in Other Educational Systems — 31,803 views
• The Young Shah Meets the Leaders of the Three World Powers for Only a Few Minutes — 27,973 views
• The Death of Tariq Aziz and What Remains in the Memories of Iranians — 27,051 views
• Seyed Rashid in Archival Documents and Oral Accounts — 24,425 views
• Description, Explanation, and Interpretation in Historical Research — 23,898 views
• The Death of Fowzia, the First Wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — 21,165 views

Photography

In this section, the photographs vividly attest to a profound and enduring fascination with the memories and atmosphere of the Iran–Iraq War, known domestically as the Sacred Defense. Images representing military training, veterans’ gatherings, and urban bombardments have garnered significant popularity. Audiences seek visual narratives of the war that convey, with immediacy and without mediation, the emotions and realities of that era. These photographs revive the collective memory of a nation, enabling generations who did not witness the war firsthand to grasp the ambience of those years.

Most Viewed:

• Military Training during the Sacred Defense (12,169 views)
• Sixteenth Gathering of Ansar Battalion Veterans (10,894 views)
• Photo Report: Iraqi Forces’ Attack on Tehran at the Outset of the Iran–Iraq War (10,782 views)
• Photo Report: Tenth National Symposium on Oral History (10,455 views)
• The “Little Men” of Those Years (9,673 views)
• Two Books (9,215 views)
• With Bosnian Fighters and the Wounded (8,802 views)
• Launch of the Digital Edition of Kaman Magazine (8,744 views)
• The Humble Editor of Oral History (7,913 views)
• An Interview That Never Happened (7,703 views)

Education

This section reveals the audience’s aspiration to acquire practical skills and specialized knowledge in the field of oral history. The most-viewed content focuses on both the theoretical underpinnings and the applied methodologies of the discipline—from defining oral history and examining the role of body language in interviews, to advanced techniques for transcription and text editing. This pattern reflects a readership intent on moving beyond passive consumption to becoming active practitioners. Such engagement signals both intellectual maturity and a purposeful orientation toward applying these teachings in professional contexts.

Most Viewed:

• What is Oral History? (26,200 views)
• Do’s and Don’ts for Expert Interviews (24,802 views)
• The Role of Body Language in Oral History Interviews (21,212 views)
• Closed vs. Open Interviews (14,540 views)
• Attributes of an Effective Interviewer (14,465 views)
• Guidelines for Transcribing, Editing, and Finalizing Oral History Texts (14,331 views)
• How to Transcribe Recorded Audio (12,662 views)
• Stages of Wartime Oral Memoir Compilation (12,645 views)
• Oral History as a Source for Historical Data Collection through Interviews (12,067 views)
• Oral History: Seminar on Life-Story Methodologies (11,783 views)

Footnotes

Readers in this section show a marked interest in serialized narratives published by Soore Mehr. These works—drawn from the books of the Center for Studies and Research on the Culture and Literature of Resistance—provide the audience with rigorously documented accounts of historical events, particularly relating to the Sacred Defense. The popularity of these serialized pieces underscores the value readers place on authoritative, well-sourced content within the realm of resistance historiography.

Most Viewed:

• Red Olive (Part 6) (13,831 views)
• Years of Solitude – Episode 31 (8,606 views)
• Eye to Eye with Them (Part 1) (6,800 views)
• Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi POW Physician – Part 7 (6,799 views)
• Memoirs of Khorramshahr – Part 1 (6,782 views)
• Theory of Oral History (Part 72) (6,697 views)
• Memoirs of Ahmad Ahmad (Part 45) (6,625 views)
• Red Olive (Part 3) (6,534 views)
• Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi POW Physician – Part 5 (6,530 views)
• Red Olive (Part 13) (6,513 views)

Multimedia

Audiences in this category demonstrate a preference for multimedia content imbued with authenticity and documentary value. The most popular items include firsthand wartime accounts, historically significant conversations and speeches, and documentary coverage of traditional and religious ceremonies. This trend indicates a desire for unmediated access to historical voices and imagery, enhancing the immediacy and tangibility of past events.

Most Viewed:

• The ‘Alam-Joosh’ Ritual in Astara (52,838 views)
• Memoirs of Hassan Mohaqqeq (18,619 views)
• The Story of Radio: A Foundation for Compiling the Oral History of Broadcasting (18,546 views)
• A Telephone Conversation between Mohammad Reza Shah and Ali Amini (16,589 views)
• Speech by Imam Musa Sadr (13,003 views)
• Air Transport Missions During and After the War (12,645 views)
• Memoirs of Zagros Milani (12,524 views)
• Memoirs of Asadollah Naseh (11,504 views)
• Memoirs of General Rahim Safavi (11,079 views)
• Memoirs of Reza Pardis (10,732 views)

Notes

This section serves as a platform for profound, multidimensional reflections on history and its related concepts. The most-viewed content in this category demonstrates that audiences are drawn to a blend of personal narratives (such as commemorations of pilots or tributes to forgotten combatants), historical and political analyses (for instance, examining the strategic role of a military garrison in thwarting a coup), and specialized discussions in the field of oral history methodology (including its ownership, stages of compilation, and its necessity for specific topics such as women’s history). This thematic width indicates that readers seek a comprehensive understanding of history—attending not only to the substance of events but also to the processes of their documentation and interpretation.

Most Viewed:

• In Memory of the Pilot Who Recounted His Memories (12,371 views)
• The Role of Vali-Asr Garrison in Foiling the Coup (11,086 views)
• Oral History of the February 11 (22 Bahman) March (8,886 views)
• Who Owns Oral History? (8,674 views)
• The Final Word (8,265 views)
• Influential Factors in Compiling Works of Iranian Oral History (8,023 views)
• Two Half-Days (7,971 views)
• Traditional Mourning Rituals, a Disappearing Tradition (7,787 views)
• The Silent, Forgotten Combatant (7,727 views)
• Oral History of Women: Needs and Necessities (7,634 views)
•  

Annual Website Traffic for the Iranian Oral History Website

From November 2010 to August 5, 2025, the site has recorded approximately 63 million visits. The yearly breakdown is as follows:

• Nov 2010 – Aug 6, 2011: 245,941 visits
• Aug 6, 2011 – Aug 6, 2012: 491,882 visits
• Aug 6, 2012 – Aug 6, 2013: 683,850 visits
• Aug 6, 2013 – Aug 6, 2014: 743,441 visits
• Aug 6, 2014 – Aug 6, 2015: 736,343 visits
• Aug 6, 2015 – Aug 6, 2016: 1,795,769 visits
• Aug 6, 2016 – Aug 6, 2017: 2,964,104 visits
• Aug 6, 2017 – Aug 6, 2018: 3,827,002 visits
• Aug 6, 2018 – Aug 6, 2019: 5,069,248 visits
• Aug 6, 2019 – Aug 6, 2020: 5,210,076 visits
• Aug 6, 2020 – Aug 6, 2021: 6,541,327 visits
• Aug 6, 2021 – Aug 6, 2022: 8,815,722 visits
• Aug 6, 2022 – Aug 6, 2023: 7,614,869 visits
• Aug 6, 2023 – Aug 6, 2024: 8,860,344 visits
• Aug 6, 2024 – Aug 6, 2025: 9,314,372 visits

In sum, the statistical analysis of 15 years of activity by the Iranian Oral History website—alongside the publication of 700 issues of its weekly bulletin—offers a comprehensive portrait of audience interests and needs. The data reveals that readers are particularly drawn to a fusion of firsthand accounts, personal memoirs of political and military figures, and in-depth analyses of historical events. Moreover, the popularity of educational content and event coverage, such as conferences, underscores that the audience is not merely a passive consumer of information, but rather an engaged participant seeking specialized knowledge and intellectual exchange within this field.