Skip to Main Content
Addlestone Library is open to the College of Charleston community and affiliates via card access. Visitors may access Addlestone Library Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, and must present a government issued ID and sign in upon entry.

Lowcountry Oral History Initiative (LOHI) Toolkit: Process the Interview

How-to guide for community and campus oral history projects brought to you by the Lowcountry Oral History Initiative at the College of Charleston Libraries.

Step 4 Oral History banner image

What Happens After the Interview?

Now that you have recorded oral histories, there are a few more critical steps to take! With these steps you'll go from having an audio/video recording to being ready to share that audio/video recording. What does it mean to "process" the oral history interview? By processing the oral history, you will:

  • Create a file-naming convention
  • Create a transcript
  • Write metadata
  • Write an abstract

You can find a Post-Interview Checklist in the Related Materials column on this page. Use this checklist to keep yourself on track!

Digital File Naming and Storage

File Naming: File names are important during and after the project. Good file names help organize your project, make it easy to identify the material in a glance, and will prevent issues when you move files from one location to another. For every oral history project, you will create a file naming convention—a way to format the file names so that they are useful, consistent, and organized. 

File Storage: How and where you store your files is very important so that none of your hard work is lost or misplaced. Each oral history project should have a single project folder. And within it, there should be subfolders broken down by file type. You should have a folder for signed documents, recordings, transcripts, and metadata.

For more information and a quick guide to naming, organizing, and storing your files, see Related Materials: Intro to File Naming and Organization.

Transcription and Abstract

What is a transcript?
A transcript is a word-for-word typed copy of the audio or video oral history recording. The transcriber's goal is to replicate the oral history interview as closely as possible by transcribing each speaker's words. This includes transcribing speech patterns and even extraneous sounds that are part of the recording. 

Why are transcripts important?
Transcripts increase access to and usability of oral histories. When audio is transforming into text, the oral history becomes text searchable. Transcripts also make it easier for users to skim and listen to the relevant sections of the oral history. Transcripts also clarify speech that is difficult to understand or difficult to hear. They also help maintain the integrity of the interviewee’s narrative by adding text to confirm what they said.

Transcripts take time to get right. Before discussing formatting details, let's start with an overview of the process to create transcripts.

Transcription workflow

  • The interviewer or another project member creates an initial Word document draft of the transcript—manually or with a transcription service.
  • A member of the project team reviews/edits the oral history for accuracy to ensure the typed words match the speech in the recording, and they review the transcript to ensure it is formatted correctly.
  • The project team shares the transcript with the interviewee for them to review.
  • The interviewee reviews the oral history for accuracy, noting any changes that need to be made, and returns the transcript to the project team.
  • After those corrections are reviewed/accepted, the transcript is complete.

Determining Transcription Labor
Transcripts can be drafted by a member of the oral history team or through the use of a transcription service. There are pros and cons to each option.

Manual Transcription
Pros: Manually creating a transcript may save on cost.
Cons: It takes a lot of time. Plan for one hour of recording to take a minimum of four hours and the potential for it to take six to eight hours to complete. (The speed of the transcriber, the quality of the recording, and the complexity of the interview can all affect the average time it takes to transcribe.)  

Transcription Services/Software
Pros: Transcription services cut down on time significantly.
Cons: They can be costly, depending on the quality of transcript you opt for.

There are several reputable transcription services available online, such as Rev or Trint. LOHI uses Rev.com and LOHI community partners will have their transcription costs covered as part of the grant funded project. For links to a couple of different transcription services, see the Helpful Links box on this page.

Typically, the transcript is made up of the header and the body. The header contains information like the project title, the name of the institution conducting the oral history, the interviewee, the interviewer, and the date the interview was conducted. The body contains the transcript itself. For a sample transcript, see the Related Materials column on this page. The Sample Transcript Header document may be helpful. If you are working on your own as a community group or institution, you can use the sample transcript to determine how you will format your project's transcripts. 

If you are working with an archive or digital repository (like LOHI), you should touch base with them about formatting requirements. 

For more information on general transcription guidelines, see the Related Materials column on this page. The Lowcountry Digital Library Transcription Manual may be helpful.

What is an abstract?
An abstract is a summary of the topics covered in the interview. The summary helps users understand the general contents and focus of the interview.

An abstract is not a transcript and should, therefore, avoid too much detail.

Abstracts writing tips:

  • Be brief—limit word count to about 200 words or less.
  • Write in present tense.
  • Allow the purpose of the oral history project to guide the content of the abstract.
  • Avoid quoting the oral history's transcript (this is usually a sign of too much detail).
  • Keep word choice fresh when describing what the interviewee shares (e.g. explains, describes, mentions, reflects upon, touches upon, highlights).

Structure of the abstract:

  1. Start with a sentence that introduces the interviewee (using their full name), share their place of birth, and identify the project for which the oral history was conducted. Hereafter, use only the first name of the interviewee.
  2. Use the body of the abstract to describe things like the interviewee's achievements, characteristics, family information, educational information, and previous and current occupations. The body also share the major themes and topics of the interview.
  3. Conclude with interesting points or topics that are not central to the interview or project but nevertheless standout as interesting.

Metadata Creation

Metadata is data about each oral history. It is structured information written in a specific format. Metadata describes all of the information related to an oral history, and it plays a critical role in the life of the oral history after recording is complete. Metadata creation is part of good stewardship of an oral history collection.

List of common information captured in metadata for oral histories:

  • interviewee's name and date of birth
  • interviewer's name and date of birth
  • date of the oral history
  • an abstract (also called a description) that summarizes the oral history
  • list of important topics discussed in the interview
  • list of important people discussed in the interview
  • list of important places discussed in the interview
  • technical information about file formats and recording equipment
  • copyright information

Metadata is an essential part of processing oral histories for two reasons:

  1. Metadata functions as part of the preservation record of the oral history.
  2. Metadata allows people to identify, locate, and access the oral histories.

How does metadata help your project team?
In the same way that a file naming convention helps you quickly identify the contents of that file, metadata helps people quickly search for, find, and use your project's oral histories. Internally, it will help your team locate oral histories, which is particularly useful if there are plans for a project (like a book or documentary) that will feature the oral histories.

How does metadata help the public?
Oral histories are records of history that are designed to be shared and used. Metadata plays the important role, therefore, of making the oral histories more discoverable, or findable, on the internet. Creating metadata is best practice. If you plan to partner with a repository like LOHI, they will require metadata for each oral history. If your organization plans to share them in a different way, people will still need data to be able to search through oral histories and find relevant material. No matter your project goal(s), metadata is an important step in processing your oral histories. 

If your oral history project will be shared through a partnership with a digital library or repository like LOHI, you can contact them to learn more about their metadata standards and training. They will get you up to speed on how to create metadata that abides by the standards they follow.

If you are sharing your oral histories independently of an established digital library, archive, or repository, you should still create metadata! For an example of a metadata collection form, see the Metadata Collection Form on this page's Related Materials column.

Helpful Links