Welcome to H-Oralhist, a member of the H-Net, Humanities & Social Sciences On-Line initiative. H-Oralhist is a network for scholars and professionals active in studies related to oral history. It is affiliated with the Oral History Association.

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Discussion published by Unknown Unknown on Thursday, May 17, 2018

Re: Privacy concerns about access to student-conducted oral histories

I can certainly understand not wanting to make grades available, but I'm having trouble understanding why there would be an expectation of privacy on the part of an oral history interviewer, regardless of their status as a student. The standard for oral history is one of transparency, including the names of interviewer and narrator, except in unusual circumstances. In other words, what is it about the interviewers being students that assumes a right to privacy? And would they have a right to privacy in perpetuity?

Mary Kay Quinlan
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Discussion published by M. Gail Hickey on Thursday, May 17, 2018

Re: Privacy concerns about access to student-conducted oral histories

If the professor obtained IRB approval prior to students' conducting the course-related interviews, there should be no privacy issue. I had a similar experience as the professor in whose course students conducted interviews; my IRB stipulated I must give the students an option to do the interview or some other assignment. Also, our archive does not include student grades on retained transcripts.

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