Experts Answer to Oral History Questions

100 Questions/26

What is the position of the research ethics in the interviews of oral history?

Translated by Mandana Karimi

2026-4-23

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.

In this project, a question is asked every Saturday, and we ask experts to present their views in the form of a short text (about 100 words) by the end of the week. All answers will be published together so that the audience can compare and analyze the views.

The content is the opinions of the senders and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Oral History website. Although the answers are supposed to be based on about 100 words, in order to be polite and not to leave the discussion incomplete, in some cases, answers longer than that are also accepted.

The experts are asked to submit their answers by Sunday night so that all answers can be published on Tuesday.

Question/26:

What is the position of the research ethics in the interviews of oral history?

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Answers to question 26:

Hassan Beheshtipour

In oral history researches, establishing effective communication between the interviewer and the narrator requires adherence to the principles of research ethics. In order to achieve this, there is a need for coordination and coordination between the interviewer and editor because professional ethics observance brings about a valid and reliable interview in this framework, three fundamental principles can be considered.

First, to gain the confidence of the narrator by observing speech ethics and creating a safe and dignified space for expressing the experiences. Second, the interviewer’s commitment to honesty and responsibility is in maintaining and maintaining the content provided by the narrator; so that the information received without distortion can be recorded and maintained. Third, trusteeship is in the content of content dissemination and adherence to the satisfaction of the narrator. On this basis, the interviewer and editor are committed to the voice of the narrator to be delivered to the narrator and only if his explicit consent is achieved.

Consequently, observing these ethical principles has a decisive role in improving the scientific quality of oral history and to guarantee its authenticity.

Gholamreza Azari Khakestar

The ethics of research in oral history and the importance of this issue is considered as one of the serious and important issues that researchers have to observe the specified frameworks.

In oral history researches by the untold and expression of facts by interviewees, the ethics of research requires that in registration and preservation of interviews, the standards of observance and material and spiritual rights are considered according to agreements.

The editing and compilation of the main structures of the narrative are preserved and tried to preserve the position and dignity of the narrator.

Scholars who use or refer to the oral history can explain the true position of oral history in contemporary history studies.

Exploitation of oral history conversations or disclosing private parts of interviews is an important issue and main concern of reporters is that this issue should be considered by oral history centers.

Any misuse of oral history accounts or censoring the narrative makes it not the original concept and the ethics of the research requires that the authors or authors of the field of oral history are good candidates.

Mohammad Mahdi Abdullahzadeh

God has placed a force within each individual that can recognize values and good and bad, such as respect for others, fidelity, honesty and … that is called moral conscience.

In the oral history interview, the interviewer must adhere to the ethical principles of research in all stages to maintain the interviewee’s mental security. On this basis, before the interview starts, he will inform him of what the interview is, and what process. The interview questions should not be inductive or in a way, that makes it difficult for him mentally and after the interview, it will be published that the narrator is satisfied and that at any stage he can consider an interview.

Gholamreza Azizi

If we interviewed and interviewed the elements of the interview and the constituents of the interview, and users and users (in addition to the elements of the interview), the potential audience and the project host, then professional ethics in an oral history project emerged in the relationship matrix of the following elements.

The description of the professional ethics matrix in oral history projects (which has an idea to complete) is not available in 100 words. Thus, an example of the relationship between the potential audience and the product of the interview is satisfied: research ethics says that the audience (in a bilateral relationship) will use the interviews (right) while exploitation is fair and unbiased (assignment).

Abolfat’h Mo’men

Since the history is concerned with the destiny of the society and its players, and based on the data and documents in different dimensions, it is certainly the ethics of research and equity in analyzing and explaining it based on justice and right. In the meantime, oral history, which is the method of gathering historical data, is one of the people who have memories of events and events, these transmitters are still present in the society, research ethics and observance of human dignity, and social - cultural considerations are of particular importance. In addition, observing the research ethics and gaining the confidence of the narrator during the interview, including the date of the interview, both the promise and the date of the oral history in the statement of memories and clarifying the dark angles of events is very important. In addition, it is necessary to develop and print the text when translating the speech into the document, as it is important for the narrator to influence the audience. In general, the process of oral history and attracting the narrators is effective and ensures the process of gathering memories and converting them into historical data.

Shafiqeh Niknafs

The ethics of research in oral history is about the relationship between project executives and the narrator, how to use the interview, as well as about people referred to in the interview.

Generally, there are laws regarding the right to ownership of intellectual property rights and citizenship rights, which do not have the necessary sufficiency, so ethical rules about oral history research have been defined. Cases such as the need of the interviewer, creating safe spaces and lack of force and coercion to express memories, alerting the narrator to the goals and how to use it in the future, observing all cases of accessibility to the content of the interview according to the narrator, lack of outrage and insult to people who are subject to memories and other things.

Seyyed Mohammad Sadegh Feyz

The ethics of research has been discussed in some cases which are related to all studies, including oral history, but those points that are important here are important: observing confidentiality of the material, especially those sections that are emphasized by the narrator; not to change or lose in the context of content, and to deliberately reduce points that are effective in the process of the results; this is part of the ethical considerations related to the interviewer and the editor. The point that is related to the narrator is that at each stage of the work with approval, the process of progress deprives the agent of the factors; it may be possible to eliminate the death of the narrator, family, and heirs to the illogical beliefs that are detrimental and harmful to the work.

Abolfazl Hassanabadi

Observance of ethical considerations in oral history is one of the principles that has been emphasized in international standards. When the interviewer is interviewing the narrator in a matter, ethical principles rule that appropriate interviews are provided in the interview about the preparation of the interview environment, providing equipment to select the appropriate interviewer and compile the correct framework for getting information with proper design and designing appropriate questions with the character of the narrator. However, considering the broader horizon, it can include correct information and observance of information standards.

Hamid Qazvini

Oral history, like any other discipline, is essential to observing morality and related norms in all stages. the important point is that because man and life and lived experience is the subject and subject and main subjects of oral history , the rules of ethics of the research will be of great importance. Because in some disciplines, man and his life and related issues are not subject to research and the final product is in the service of man and his life.

Accordingly, in oral history, the narrator and the researcher should be agreed upon the objectives and the subject and how to use the results of the research and be required to comply with them. In this process, it is necessary to add the preliminaries of the research, which improves the position of morality in comparison with other disciplines.

Artificial Intelligence

The ethics of the research has a fundamental position in the oral history interview because the validity of the data and the dignity of the narrator depends on it. Observance of informed consent, privacy preservation, trustworthiness in the transportation, and avoiding distortion or directing the narrative to the narrative are basic principles. The interviewer should be sensitive to cultural, emotional and political areas and prevent psychological or social harm. In addition, transparency in the purpose of the study and the way of using data is necessary. Ignoring these principles not only destroys the confidence of the narrators but also undermines the scientific and historical value of the work.