An academic research center dedicated to using first-person narratives as methods of documenting 20th century history.
The Center for the Study of History and Memory at Indiana University builds upon its work in the field of oral history while broadening the range of its research projects to address the many ways that people remember, represent, and use the past in public and private life. The Center provides documents and guidelines for how to legally collect testimony and how to effectively interview people. An archive of oral histories and newsletters, both available online, offer prime examples and best practices in interviewing.
The Center also works in the field of Memory Studies, which investigates how memories are constructed, how they change, and how reliable they can be as primary historical sources. Ethical responsibilities are a major focus of the Center, including procedures for obtaining consent and deeds of gifts for recorded histories and testimonies. The Center’s work is similar to that of the Oral History Research Center at the University of Las Vegas (UNLV).
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