After the interview

After the interview is finished don’t rush away. Take time to thank the interviewee and talk about yourself. This is also the time to discuss the Interview Recording Agreement, sometimes called a copyright and clearance form (see Being Legal and Ethical), which needs to be signed by each interviewee so that the rights and access conditions for the interview are clearly agreed. 

You will often be shown some interesting old photographs or documents. Before you leave provide an address or phone number where you can be contacted and make clear whether you will be returning for a follow up interview or not. This can avert any unnecessary worry. 

Remember that your visit will often have a major impact on someone who has perhaps never told anyone their memories before.

Back at base

there are things you need to do

Back at base it is vital to transfer the digital files you have recorded to computer and make back-up safety copies for permanent preservation.

Digital files can be uploaded to computer via the USB port in the recorder or (better) via a card reader plugged into USB2 port on the PC.

A good routine is to upload, rename, and back up to external computer hard-drive, then make an additional copy as an MP3 for playback, transcription and security purposes. It’s also possible at this stage to make a further copy (say for an interviewee or transcriber) onto a DVD or CDR or memory stick, though none should be regarded as an archival version. Then (and only then) it’s possible to ‘reformat’ (i.e. wipe) the memory card ready for the next recording.

 

Some tips on hard disc drives

for long-term preservation

Here are some pointers on hard disc drives, now favoured for long-term preservation:

  • Hard disc drives are manufactured to last only a few years. In practice, they might last longer, but the notion of a single individual drive as a reliable long-term store is a non-starter.
  • However, drives can successfully be used for long-term storage by replicating data across more than one drive.
  • The particular drive model is less important than the strategy of using different brands of drive in order to diminish the risk of simultaneous drive failures.
  • The simplest system is to manually mirror (replicate) data across at least one other drive, and store the replica(s) in different locations.
  • As well as establishing a regular (daily) back-up routine it is worth using a system that regularly checks each disc for integrity, sector errors etc, as well as verifying that data copying is accurate. RAID systems are becoming cheaper and can be used to replicate and check data across several disc drives, and automate the process of restoring data automatically when a particular drive fails (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID).
  • Some systems use RAIDs coupled with off-line backup on optical disc or on tape drives (LTO etc) as extra security. The BL uses this kind of mass storage system (known in the BL as the ‘Digital Library System’) but multiple external hard-drives are likely to be a more viable and affordable option for most projects.

 

Don't forget the paperwork

documenting is key to finding

Each new interviewee should have their own personal file containing details of his or her full name and date of birth, the place and date of the interview, your own name, the type of equipment you used etc., together with the pre-interview participation agreement and the post-interview recording agreement (copyright form) and copies of any letters. 

Full verbatim transcription of recordings is hugely time-consuming and expensive, but transcripts do provide an excellent guide to your recordings. There are now several computer software packages that make transcription easier: Express Scribe Transcription Playback software is a free download. This is controllable via ‘hot keys’ on the keyboard and/or via a remote foot pedal. Alternative software includes Start Stop. 

As a minimum it is essential to write a synopsis or content summary of the interview which briefly lists in order all the main themes, topics and stories discussed. This will come in useful if you want to use the interview in an exhibition, or book, or radio programme. You can find some guidance for writing content summaries here.

For editing there are a large number of software packages suitable for editing digital audio on PCs (and macs). For basic speech editing Audacity, a free piece of open-source software, is adequate but Wavelab Elements or Sound Forge Audio Studio 12 are better as low-cost and highly-recommended alternatives.

As well as establishing a good routine for downloading and backing-up digital files it is also important to think about archiving copies of your recordings with your local library or archive. Many project funders (such as Heritage Lottery Fund) will expect you to have identified a permanent place of deposit for your recordings before the project starts.

A screengrab of sound editing software
British Library Sound Archive

Using AI for oral history

benefits and risks
There are now many AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools which can transcribe audio, create content summaries and analyse texts, much more quickly than humans can do these things. 
 
Some of the benefits of using AI for oral history include:
 
  • Transcription. AI voice-recognition tools such as MacWhisper, Otter, Trint, GoodTape, Copilot and Descript can now generate remarkably accurate speech-to-text transcripts, especially where the audio quality is good, and the speaker is clear and unaccented. Some remote interviewing platforms like Riverside also offer built-in transcription functionality. Many are costed services.
  • Documentation and analysis. AI tools can search audio files and large text-based data sources such as oral history transcripts to generate content summaries, indexes and other analytical outputs. They can also facilitate retrospective sensitivity-checking for GDPR and/or accessibility and publication purposes. 
  • Access and accessibility. AI can search across many data sources and create connections and links to enable aggregated data searches (such as Museum Data Service and Congruence Engine). There are huge research opportunities here. And AI, through such tools as captioning, can make audio more accessible to people with disabilities (for example the hearing-impaired). Some AI ‘copy generators’ can also help you produce project outputs such as publicity and marketing materials, and virtual tours and exhibitions.
But there are significant risks in using AI for oral history which you need to be aware of:
 
  • Security and privacy. Most free AI tools – such as transcription software – will store and/or retain your data. Others will also claim rights over your data, which might infringe data protection (GDPR). Check what the AI tool does with your data, especially if it is in any way sensitive or confidential (much oral history is!). You should resist any rights transfer or sharing, and if possible, only use AI tools locally through applications installed on your own device, rather than through online applications, carefully checking the terms and conditions of any AI software you use. Sensitive or confidential oral history data will simply not be suitable for some AI applications. The risks of malicious creation of ‘fake oral history’ exist but have thus far not been well-documented. 
  • Accuracy: Data generated by AI tools can be inaccurate and misleading, so it is vital to check any AI-generated content against trusted sources. AI transcription tools might be useful in creating an initial transcript, but in all cases it needs to be carefully checked against the original audio. AI tools are very poor at understanding, for example, silences and emotional actions such as laughing or crying. They also have biases such as ‘hallucinations’, over-generalisations, and outdated language. For some poor-quality audio or accented/dialect speech a traditional human transcriber will be better. Similarly, AI-generated content summaries will rarely be as good as a human-generated version.
  • Loss of ‘intelligent’ analysis. Compared to AI tools many oral historians have found that preparing their own summaries and transcripts requires deep listening, a process that is an important part of their research and analysis. The summary writing stage can also be part of the (GDPR) content sensitivity review process. Listening facilitates the identification of themes across interviews, and the selection of good audio extracts for project outputs such as podcasts, publications, web resources and exhibitions. Using speech-to-text/analysis tools side-steps these opportunities for getting to know your recordings. 
  • Transparency and openness. It is not always self-evident whether data has been AI-generated in all or part. It is vital that AI-originated data (such as an AI transcript or content summary) is tagged accordingly so users understand its provenance. We need to call-out AI-generated and manipulated data when its origins are not self-declared, and act quickly on any misuse.
  • Bad for the planet. This is a developing area of research, but we know that AI tools use huge amounts of water and energy to power their data centres, creating significant environmental impact. ChatGPT for example uses 50 to 90 times more energy than standard search engines.
 

Practical recommended actions when using AI tools for oral history

If you plan to make any specific use of AI tools, such as transcription software, in your oral history workflow then you need to carry out a careful risk assessment and be transparent about it throughout your project documentation and agreement forms with interviewees. So much commonly used software (such as Adobe Acrobat) uses AI nowadays that a blanket ‘no AI’ declaration on interview participation and agreement forms is not useful. This kind of declaration would have the effect of preventing all online access or computer processing.
 
You should check the terms and conditions (and ongoing costs) of any AI tools or applications which you are using to ascertain whether or not the provider will retain a copy of your data and/or any rights in it and for how long. Retention of data or rights over it should be resisted in favour of using AI tools which don’t require uploading your data outside your own local systems.
 
Assess the risks relating to the use of AI tools for confidential or sensitive oral history content where third parties might have insecure access to your interviews or might make use of your data in legal jurisdictions not covered by or aligned with UK/EU GDPR.
 

Any interview data processed by AI tools needs to be carefully checked against the original audio file for accuracy, and project managers need to put in place rigorous quality control protocols. You should not be sharing or making public any AI-originated data which has not been checked.

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