The National Oral History Association (OHA) defines oral history as “a method of gathering and preserving historical information through recorded interviews with participants in past events and ways of life”. Oral history interviews are rooted in recollections about specific events and individual lives based on the perspective of the narrator. These projects generally involve conversations with named individuals and are made available to the public through deposit in archives.

Some research involving the collection and use of oral histories may not meet the federal definition of “human subjects research” and therefore may not require involvement of the IRB office; other research using the same methods may meet this definition of human subjects research and require IRB review.

Per federal regulation, research is defined as “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.”

Specifically, the consideration of human research and the requirement for IRB review hinges upon whether:

• The activity involves a prospective research plan which incorporates data collection, including qualitative data, and data analysis to answer a research question; AND
• The activity is designed to draw general conclusions (i.e., knowledge gained from a study may be applied to populations outside of the specific study population), inform policy, or generalize findings.

General principles for evaluating whether oral history type activities are human research and require IRB review:

• Oral history activities, such as open-ended interviews, that ONLY document a specific historical event or the experiences of individuals without intent to draw conclusions or generalize findings would NOT constitute “research” as defined by federal regulation.
• Systematic investigations involving open-ended interviews that are designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge (e.g., designed to draw conclusions, inform policy, or generalize findings) WOULD constitute “research” as defined by federal regulation.
• Oral historians and qualitative investigators may want to create archives for the purpose of providing a resource for others to do research. If the intent of the interviews is specifically to create a repository of information for other investigators to conduct research as defined by 45 CFR part 46, the creation of such an archive WOULD constitute research under federal regulation.

Note: Even though a specific oral history project may not fit the definition of “research” under the federal regulations, these projects should still be conducted in accordance with ethical and legal standards appropriate to oral history, including consent, and legal releases as appropriate. Visit the Oral History Association website for more information regarding principles and best practices.