Training

The Oral History Network of Ireland offers a number of different oral history training workshops to suit the needs of our members and the wider oral history community in Ireland. During the current COVID-19 restrictions, we have reconfigured some of our training for online delivery. We hope to return to in-person training when restrictions allow.

Please click on an option below for more information about our in person and online training opportunities. Members have preferential registration options and discounted rates for all of these workshops.

We are also happy to provide training on request for groups and organisations interested in running them. More information about requesting a workshop is available here.

In-Person Workshops

  • The Life Cycle Approach (full day)

    This one day training event offers a basic introduction to all aspects in the life cycle of an oral history project from commissioning and planning to disseminating and archiving. It introduces concepts of best practice in terms of ethical and legal considerations and provides an opportunity for participants to raise questions and concerns about current or future projects.

  • Introduction to Oral History (half-day)

    This half-day workshop is specifically designed for beginners who are interested in learning more about oral history and its potential as a research methodology. It outlines some of the key issues to consider when using oral history and offers a preliminary introduction to project planning, ethical considerations, interview techniques and potential outputs.

  • Ethics and Oral History

    This one day workshop follows on from our introductory workshops and focuses specifically on the ethics and legalities of conducting oral histories. The day follows the course of the oral history process from the initial planning stages, through the actual interview encounter to the processing and end products of the interviews, examining the unique challenges and considerations at each stage. The final section of the workshop offers practical tips and guidelines for working through Research Ethics Board approval for oral history.

  • Interview Skills

    This interactive workshop focuses on developing the key skills required to conduct the best possible oral history interview. Following on from our introductory workshops, this training explores the relationship between interviewer and interviewee, examining the practicalities of the before, during, and after stages of oral history interviewing.

  • Archiving Oral History

    This half-day workshop covers the processes and considerations needed to ensure that oral history collections are preserved for future generations. Participants will learn about archival quality standards for recordings, creating appropriate documentation and metadata, managing collections, considering ethics and legalities, and communicating with archives and repositories.

Online Workshops

  • Oral History Basics (Online)

    This virtual workshop is specifically designed for beginners who are interested in learning more about oral history and its potential as a research methodology. It outlines some of the key issues to consider when using oral history and offers a preliminary introduction to project planning, ethical considerations, interview techniques and potential outputs.

  • Interview Skills (Online)

    This interactive virtual workshop focuses on developing the key skills required to conduct the best possible oral history interview. Following on from our introductory workshops, this training explores the relationship between interviewer and interviewee, examining the practicalities of the before, during, and after stages of oral history interviewing.

  • Ethics and Oral History (Online)

    This virtual training follows from our introductory workshops and focuses specifically on the ethics and legalities of conducting oral histories. It follows the course of the oral history process from the initial planning stages, through the actual interview encounter to the processing and end products of the interviews, examining the unique challenges and considerations at each stage. The final section of the workshop will offer practical tips and guidelines for working through Research Ethics Board approval for oral history.

Please email info@oralhistorynetworkireland.ie with any questions.