Oral History/Interview

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Oral History/Interview: The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to apply what you’ve already learned about primary and secondary research and to take it a step further: You will explore a discourse community with which you are unfamiliar, learn as much as you can through secondary research, and conduct an oral history interview in order to fill gaps in your knowledge. Here is a brief outline of your research journey:

  • Choose a discourse community. Please choose a community with which you are unfamiliar and would like to learn more about.
  • Develop a research question. What questions do you still have about the community? Narrow your focus by synthesizing your research (see next bullet point).
  • Research your community via secondary sources (you will need at least five for your synthesis matrix). This may include scholarly or non-scholarly sources, including a local history museum or historical society. It is important to stay cognizant of which sources will be helpful to you in learning about your community and why. Additionally, record a running list of questions about the community as your research.
  • Conduct 30-minute interview. The person you interview must be willing to be audio recorded. In preparation for the interview, you will develop interview questions (these are different from your research question) and acquire audio recording equipment (If you have a smart phone, you can download a free app called “Otter.”) See also the following resources:
  • 5 Best Audio Recording Apps for Android https://www.scriptosphere.com/5-best-audio-recording-apps-android/
  • Audio recording apps for iPhone https://www.guidingtech.com/audio-recording-apps-iphone/
  • Blackboard will accept the following file types for audio: Audio: AIFF, MP3, MIDI, MP, WAV, and WMA.
  • Remember: you need to get a signed consent form from the participant prior to completing the interview. See Blackboard for a consent form you must adapt for your use.
  • Write a five- to six-page essay that profiles the discourse community you have chosen to research. It must include at least five sources (one primary (i.e., interview) and four secondary). It must include an abstract and cover page that do not count towards the page count.

 

The purpose of this assignment is multifaceted: (1) To develop your understanding of discourse communities by analyzing both explicit and implicit manifestations of culture within a discourse community with which you are unfamiliar. (2) Build upon prior knowledge of primary research to include conducting interviews. (3) Reflect on how inquiry contributes to a life of significance and worth. (4) Reinforce prior knowledge of locating and synthesizing secondary sources.