Course Facilitator:  Konstantinos D. Karatzas, Ph.D 

The Idea
GIRES, the Global Institute for Research, Education and Scholarship and the Oral History & Digital Humanities Academy (ODA), committed to support the endeavors of global scholarly community, offer a new workshop for those who wish to explore the fascinating discipline of Oral History. Oral history, is a highly significant source of information and in GIRES, we believe in the power of personal testimonies and that we ought to understand, explore, respect and preserve history. Local history and oral testimonies can have a great magnitude and affect our understanding of the past. Global history is shaped by such clusters of information; personal stories can offer clear view of past events, describe a forgotten reality and even help us re-write history. Despite if we consider such information important, oral history can be instrumental in the formation of collective memory and the shaping of national identities.

The Aim
Our  workshop offers a step-by-step training in remote and in-person interviewing techniques. The aim is to explain all the preparations including the contact with the interviewees,  the legal and ethical issues, the recording equipment that an oral historian needs in order to engage in an interview. Dr. Karatzas will guide you through the different techniques and methods of interviewing in order to cover most, if not all, possible scenarios and prepare you for the next step in your research.  The training is designed in a dynamic way so it can be beneficial for all participants despite their experience in such a field. Students, young scholars independent researchers and history, culture and tradition enthusiasts are welcome in our friendly and welcoming GIRES environment.

The Outcome
Participants are encourages to participate in the (virtual) training with Dr. Karatzas and other participants so all understand the techniques and best practices for a successful interview while training in the safe environment of the workshop. Dr. Karatzas will engage in role playing himself, drawing examples from his long experience of different types of interviewees, styles of engagement and propose  ways of overcoming the difficulties. The participants are welcome to engage in the role playing so they gain first-hand experience.

A substantial part of our workshop is dedicated to discussing your personal projects and through our Q&A you will find all the useful information that will improve your work. With more than 2,500 interviews in four countries (United States, Canada, Greece and Spain) our facilitator, will share his experiences and advice and through the dialogue he will try to answer all your questions. We hope that our workshop  we will help you create the project of your dreams!

Thematics
-Organizing and Preparing the interview(s)
-Documentation and Legal aspects
-Essential Equipment/Voice and/or Video Recording
-Interviewer and Interviewee: Setting the Outline
-Note Taking and Interview Basics
-Interviewing Techniques (online & in-person)
-Role Playing-Dealing with different types of interviews & interviews

** Access credentials will be provided to registered participants one day prior the workshop, noon (dutch time)**
** After the session, all participants will  be provided with the relevant material presented during the workshop via GIRES’ Asynchronous Platform  that will remain open and accessible for 5 days**
**Due to the restrictions of Corona Crisis our event (for the time being) will take place virtually**

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RELATED WORKSHOP (Various dates in July)
Mastering Oral History:A Concise Guide
More information HERE