Oral History Resources

Ohio History Connection Resources

Transcription Guide – This is a guide to how the Ohio History Connection transcribes oral histories. There are many other guides available online, some of which vary in the amount of editing and how the transcript is laid out. Reading over several different examples will help you determine which is best for your project.

Example Transcript – Here is an example of how the guidelines are applied to an oral history.

Filming Location Guidelines – Here is a quick guide we often share when filming outside of our studio. It’s a list of things to consider when choosing a filming location and is good to share with organizations or interviewees who aren’t experienced videographers.


Online Resources

Oral History Association – The Oral History Association is committed to the value of oral histories and is probably the first place to look for information and resources. Their Principles and Best Practices are required reading for any oral historian. They also have information on preservation, technology, grants, and almost anything else related to oral histories.

Oral History in the Digital Age – Oral history in the Digital Age is a collaborative project of a number of museums and universities through the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership project. This webpage has similar information to Oral History Association but with more granular and technical information.

Oral History Metadata Synchronizer – OHMS for short was created by the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky and is a way to attach metadata, transcripts, and other information to enhance online oral histories. The best part is it’s free.


In addition to our own collecting efforts, we are committed to helping other historians in the practice of oral history. If you are an organization or an oral historian and would like to find out how we can help make your next project a reality, please contact us at [email protected] with a quick synopsis of your project.