The following is an useful glossary
of commonly used Oral History vocabulary.
Narrator – Person being interviewed on their memories of history which occurred during their lifetime, and how it affected them.
Interviewer – Person who gathers dialogue from the narrator, and who is responsible for gently guiding the conversation.
Public Memory – A society’s collective conceptions about the past*
Check back as we continue to update our Glossary page.
*All definitions from above words which are followed by an asterisk (*), have been gathered from Donald A. Ritchie‘s book: Doing Oral History, A Practical Guide.
Harford Voices: A Digital Oral History Exhibit 