2.02 Gathering and digitising heritage materials

Recording oral histories: Best practices with everyday devices

The accessibility of modern technology, especially smartphones, has revolutionised our ability to capture and preserve oral histories. While high-quality digital recorders are more affordable than ever, the capabilities of a standard smartphone are often more than sufficient for capturing clear, usable audio.

However, while the tool may be simple, the principles of good recording remain crucial for creating a high-quality historical record. With non-professional equipment, controlling the recording environment is the single most critical factor for success. A little preparation can make the difference between a muffled, unusable recording and a clear, valuable piece of history.

A quiet, controlled environment is paramount. Before you press record, take a few minutes to prepare your surroundings. The ideal location is a small, quiet room, preferably one with soft furnishings like carpets, curtains, and sofas, which are excellent at absorbing sound and reducing echo.

It is essential to eliminate all sources of ambient background noise, including televisions, radios, fans, air conditioning units, and even loud refrigerators or ticking clocks.

Remember to put all phones, including your own, in a “Do Not Disturb” mode to prevent interruptions.

The proximity of the microphone to the speaker is also key. Position your recording device close to the interviewee, as this dramatically improves the signal-to-noise ratio – a fundamental concept in audio recording.

When using a smartphone or a simple digital recorder, place the device to the side of the speaker’s mouth, not directly in front of it. This simple adjustment helps to avoid “plosives” – the distracting puffs of air created by “p” and “b” sounds that can overwhelm a small microphone.

Another critical tip is to avoid placing your recording device directly on a hard surface like a table, which will pick up every tiny vibration. Instead, place the device on a soft, folded towel or use a small tripod to isolate it.

For projects with a small budget, investing in a wired lavalier microphone that clips onto a lapel and plugs into a smartphone can dramatically improve audio quality.

Before the formal interview begins, it is essential to set and test your audio levels. Audio level is measured in decibels (dB). The goal is to record a signal that is loud and clear without “clipping” or distorting, which happens when the signal is too loud for the recorder to handle. Most recording apps have a visual audio meter. Ask your interviewee to speak at their normal volume and adjust the input level so that the sound consistently peaks in the range of −12dB to −6dB. It is critical that the level never reaches 0dB, as this will cause irreversible digital distortion.

The best way to be certain of your setup is to make a test recording and play it back through headphones to check for clarity and volume before you begin the actual interview.

Finally, for file formats, it is recommended to record in an uncompressed preservation format like WAV at a minimum of 44.1kHz/16-bit if storage space allows. Compressed formats like MP3 are suitable for access copies but are not ideal for the master archival file.

Photography for artefacts and documents

When documenting physical objects like old photographs, letters, or handmade crafts, the same principles of care and control apply. Good lighting is essential. Whenever possible, use steady, even lighting. Be aware that direct sunlight can create harsh shadows, and the colour of natural light changes, leading to inconsistent results; relying on consistent indoor electric lighting is often a better choice.

For framing, position your camera directly above the document or artefact to avoid perspective distortion. Use your camera’s screen to ensure the object is straight, fills the frame appropriately, and is in sharp focus.

The foundation of a living archive: Structuring your metadata

As technology empowers more people to create digital recordings and images, the challenge shifts from creation to organisation and discovery. A collection of recordings without good data about them quickly becomes a “digital landfill” – a repository of files that are unsearchable, unusable, and ultimately lose their value over time.

This is why metadata is essential. Metadata is simply “data about data.” It is the structured information that describes the who, what, when, where, and why of your recording or image, providing the crucial context that makes your collection searchable, understandable, and valuable for the future.

Creating good metadata is not an afterthought; it is an integral part of the collection process itself.

The single most important factor that distinguishes a valuable, searchable “living archive” from a useless “digital landfill” is the quality and consistency of its metadata. Without structured metadata, a collection of digital files lacks context and becomes unsearchable, losing its value over time. Good metadata, created from the outset using established standards, ensures long-term accessibility, interoperability (the ability to be combined with other archives), and usability for future researchers and communities.

To ensure this interoperability, projects should adopt established metadata standards. Dublin Core is a widely used, simple set of 15 core elements for describing digital resources and is an excellent starting point.

For projects involving audio and video, PB Core (Public Broadcasting Metadata Dictionary) offers more specialised fields.

For pan-European projects, aiming for compatibility with the Europeana Data Model (EDM) is a key goal, as it allows local collections to be aggregated into Europeana’s vast digital platform for cultural heritage.

AI demonstration: Generating a metadata template

Establishing a professional, standardised structure for your metadata right from the start of a project can feel daunting. This is an area where an AI assistant can be exceptionally helpful. By providing a clear prompt, you can generate a comprehensive template based on established archival best practices.

Prompt:

Act as a professional archivist for the HER[AI]TAGE oral history project, which is collecting stories from seniors about their local river. Suggest a comprehensive set of metadata fields I should collect for each interview recording. The template should be suitable for a digital archive and align with standards like Dublin Core. Present this in a table format and provide a brief description and a realistic example for each field.

AI response:

Certainly. Establishing a robust metadata schema is crucial for the long-term preservation and accessibility of your HER[AI]TAGE project. The following template is based on archival best practices and aligns with the principles of standards like Dublin Core, tailored for an oral history collection. Do note that: the data below does not reflect actual gathered data from the project HER[AI]TAGE but is instead fully AI generated for demonstrative purposes.

This structured approach, established with AI’s help, ensures that from the very first interview, your collection is being built on a solid, professional foundation, creating a truly comprehensive and usable digital archive.

Please note that the examples presented in this learning module represent best practices. The feasibility of implementing all of them will depend on the scope and resources of your specific project. When conducting interviews and collecting stories, it is crucial to consider the location, the tools being used, and the method for recording metadata. Strive to capture and digitize content at the best possible quality with the resources at your disposal.