Oral History Reports in HIST 431
A substantial, optional assignment in HIST 431 is to conduct independent research and to present the results as a report. More specifically, you are to conduct an oral history interview and present the results, along with background material, as a short (target length: 1000 words of text, + bib) essay. Purposes of Oral
History Reports
The oral history reports in this course have three purposes. 1. To allow you to explore further on a topic of particular interest (and maybe meet an interesting person). 2. To inform other class members. (They are expected to read and discuss your report.) 3. To gain proficiency in historical research and writing. Choice of Topic (and
Subject)
Any topic having to do with life on the North American Plains is fair game for this assignment. Generally you will be guided by your choice of subject, or informant—the person you interview. This person will be an individual with historical experiences in life on the plains. Any plainsperson has such experiences to tell; you should know by now that everyday life is the stuff of regional cultural history. So choose your own informant. Examples— • Interview a school bus driver about the difficulties of school transportation in a land of sparse population. • Interview a German-Russian homemaker about ethnic cooking traditions. •
Interview a Background Research
Your report will be devoted largely to telling the story of your informant, but you need to do some background research so as to have a historical understanding of the subject being discussed. You should consult and cite at least three written sources (books, articles, web sites) as background. And in pursuit of these sources, you should use these three tools. • ODIN (the on-line library catalog) at NDSU Libraries • America: History and Life (standard bibliographic reference in American History) • A web search Interviewing
Se sure to explain to your informant that you are doing this as an assignment that will be shared with your fellow students. Conduct the interview in a place where the person is comfortable. Generally speaking, it is best if there are no other people present. Arrive prepared to ask questions and follow-ups along lines you wish to develop—you should have done your background reading before this, and perhaps had a preliminary conversation with your informant—but be open to fruitful digressions, too; you don't want to miss out on a good story! You are not required to record the interview, but you may if you wish. Otherwise, take good notes. Organization of the
Report
The written report should be a good historical essay with an introduction that draws the reader in and then states a thesis, or main finding; a body that provides background and relates the experience of your informant; and a conclusion that pulls things together while assessing their significance.
Bibliography
No footnotes are required, but at the end of your report, append a bibliography. Arrange your sources (your written background sources, along with the oral interview) in the format for bibliographies specified by the Chicago Manual of Style. Submission of Reports
Submit your report as a posting to Webblog.
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