--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oral history is a research method. It is…" description: "\"Oral history is a research method. It is a way of conducting long, highly detailed interviews with people about their life experiences, often in multip..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/patricia-leavy-37342_anthropology_oral-history-is-a-research-method-it-is_276996.jpg" --- # Oral history is a research method. It is a way of… ![“Oral history is a research method. It is a way of conducting long, highly detailed interviews with people about their life experiences, often in multiple interview sessions. Oral history allows the person being interviewed to use their own language to talk about events in their life and the method…” quote by Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/patricia-leavy-37342_anthropology_oral-history-is-a-research-method-it-is_276996.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/patricia-leavy-37342_anthropology_oral-history-is-a-research-method-it-is_276996.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/patricia-leavy-37342_anthropology_oral-history-is-a-research-method-it-is_276996.jpg) > “Oral history is a research method. It is a way of conducting long, highly detailed interviews with people about their life experiences, often in multiple interview sessions. Oral history allows the person being interviewed to use their own language to talk about events in their life and the method is used by researchers in different fields like history, anthropology and sociology.” [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Oral history captures personal narratives directly from participants, preserving authentic voices for research. **In simple terms:** Oral history records people’s own words about their lives. Key Takeaway Use first‑hand stories in research. Themes memory voice methodology Mood reflective analytical Type methodological educational When to use this quote - anthropology - history - sociology - education Key Concepts qualitative research ethnography narrative Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure accuracy? - What ethical issues arise? A Different Perspective Time‑intensive and may involve memory bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anthropology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anthropology/) [Conducting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conducting/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Anthropology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-anthropology-2695378/) [History Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-research-2539474/) [Interviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interviews/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-experience/) [Life experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-experiences/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/method/) [Multiple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multiple/) [Oral history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oral-history/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Research Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research-method-2587163/) [Researchers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/researchers/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Session](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/session/) [Sessions Oral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sessions-oral-2695377/) [Sociology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociology/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“I selected a research method called autoethnography. It allows someone to study their own story within a cultural context like, say, a child living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-stevens/i-selected-a-research-method-called-autoethnography-it-allows-someone/) [Michelle Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-stevens/) > [We still have to realize that if you are say a historian of the Civil War, you don’t know anything special about say Columbus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/we-still-have-to-realize-that-if-you-are-say-a-historian-of-the-civil/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [America is a melting pot for all different groups of people, historically. 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My book was the launch title in the Understanding Qualitative Research series with Oxford University Press.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/there-are-many-important-books-on-oral-history-my-book-was-the-launch/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [Moreover, it is so important that people have the opportunity to share their stories and have them documented. There have been large-scale oral history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/moreover-it-is-so-important-that-people-have-the-opportunity-to-share/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [I'm doing a collaborative project with another artist, Mary Hamill. My project is to gather the oral history of war widows, starting with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chath-piersath/i-m-doing-a-collaborative-project-with-another-artist-mary-hamill-my/) [Chath Piersath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chath-piersath/) > [Paul's One Way Out is a fresh, intelligently arranged, and satisfyingly complete telling of the lengthy (and unlikely) history of the group that almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-kahn/paul-s-one-way-out-is-a-fresh-intelligently-arranged-and-satisfyingly/) [Ashley Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-kahn/) > [But you have to understand what that really did is that it opened these DVDs to be sources of oral history instead of puff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-meyer/but-you-have-to-understand-what-that-really-did-is-that-it-opened/) [Nicholas Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-meyer/) > [After I discovered the real life of mothers bore little resemblance to the plot outlined in most of the books and articles I'd read,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-blakely/after-i-discovered-the-real-life-of-mothers-bore-little-resemblance/) [Mary Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-blakely/) > [“The tatters of old stories are tangled, weathered, muted by long-held silences that succeeded loud feuds, and sometimes no doubt re-dyed a more flattering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/the-tatters-of-old-stories-are-tangled-weathered-muted-by-long-held/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [Unix is not so much an operating system as an oral history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/unix-is-not-so-much-an-operating-system-as-an-oral-history/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More by Patricia Leavy > [Moreover, it is so important that people have the opportunity to share their stories and have them documented. There have been large-scale oral history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/moreover-it-is-so-important-that-people-have-the-opportunity-to-share/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [Students are often taught when to use a particular method and how to use it, but not how to effectively write up their research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/students-are-often-taught-when-to-use-a-particular-method-and-how-to/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [I had published a co-edited book with Oxford a decade ago, my first book actually. Years later I found myself having lunch with Lori…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/i-had-published-a-co-edited-book-with-oxford-a-decade-ago-my-first/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [There are always challenges with books , deciding what to include and what to omit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/there-are-always-challenges-with-books-deciding-what-to-include-and/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [Oral history interviews allow us to document and chronicle people's stories; stories that might otherwise not be included in the historical record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/oral-history-interviews-allow-us-to-document-and-chronicle-people-s/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [My book, Oral History: Understanding Qualitative Research is about how researchers use this method and how to write up their oral history projects so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/my-book-oral-history-understanding-qualitative-research-is-about-how/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [People must be able to use their voice, tell their stories, have their experiences recognized and their voices heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/people-must-be-able-to-use-their-voice-tell-their-stories-have-their/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [I may be biased, but I think the cover art is stunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/i-may-be-biased-but-i-think-the-cover-art-is-stunning/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [I was invited. Oxford University Press is simply as prestigious a press as there is so when they come to your door and invite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/i-was-invited-oxford-university-press-is-simply-as-prestigious-a/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [As audiences, when we are exposed to oral history projects not only do we learn but in some ways we also bear witness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-leavy/as-audiences-when-we-are-exposed-to-oral-history-projects-not-only-do/) [Patricia Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-leavy/) > [There are many important books on oral history. 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Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-vinge/) > [Modern anthropology ... opposes the utilitarian assumption that the primitive chants as he sows seed because he believes that otherwise it will not grow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carroll/modern-anthropology-opposes-the-utilitarian-assumption-that-the/) [John Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carroll/) > [For me, a bit of anthropology in the evening is always better than staying and watching the telly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rhodes/for-me-a-bit-of-anthropology-in-the-evening-is-always-better-than/) [Nick Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rhodes/) > [When you ask why did some particular question occur to a scientist or philosopher for the first time, or why did this particular approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/when-you-ask-why-did-some-particular-question-occur-to-a-scientist-or/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [I didn't major in anthropology in college, but I do feel I had an education in different cultures very early on. 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