The institute is designed for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, college faculty, and independent scholars planning to use oral history interviews as part of a research project, as well as community historians and others who are engaged in oral history work on an on-going basis. The six-day institute will cover project planning, preparation for interviewing, interview techniques, analysis of completed research projects, and the opportunities afforded by new technologies such as digital video and the world-wide web. The goal of the institute is to strengthen the ability of its participants to conduct research-focused interviews, to incorporate oral histories into teaching, and to consider in a rigorous academic environment, the special characteristics of interviews as historical evidence. We will explore how oral history interviews can broaden and deepen historical interpretation.

The institute directors and faculty will integrate participant projects into their presentations. Seminars, workshops, and discussions will be geared to the specific research interests of institute participants and will provide a platform for the engagement of the faculty's expertise.