Oral History and Ethical Practice: Towards Effective Policies and Procedures

Abstract

This article examines how Canadian ethics policies affects historians who use oral history, and focuses on privacy and confidentiality, free and informed consent, and research involving Aboriginal peoples. The article concludes with recommendations for developing ethics policies that accord with historical methodology.

Ethical Considerations on the Use of Archived Testimonies in Holocaust Research: Beyond the IRB Exemption

“…For instance, Wood (2006) notes that her respondents requested that she use their real names but she refused, owing to concerns about placing her respondents at risk for both political and physical harm. In contrast, Nancy Janovicek (2006) decided to let her respondents, who were women activists working against spousal assault, decide whether or not to remain anonymous, explaining, "I wanted to acknowledge them as political figures, and did so by identifying them with their consent" (p. 162). Summarizing these two distinct views, Katja M. Guenther (2009) writes of her own study of local women's movements in the former East Germany, Assurances of confidentiality can be an empowering experience, allowing individuals to speak candidly without concerns about attribution or retribution.…”

“…As Janovicek (2006) notes further, in some situations it may actually be unethical to maintain confidentiality and anonymity in oral histories. Speaking in reference to oral histories with First Nations peoples in Canada, she explains, There are situations when concealing identity may offend the religious convictions and cultural customs of research participants…[A]nonymizing interviews conflicts with the First Nations tradition.…”

Ethical Review and Children's Research in Ireland

“…The perception of many authors in these areas is that RECs often approach research in these subjects with an insufficient understanding of the specific nature of their research, which can lead to requirements that endanger the very nature of quality work in a range of disciplines or specific research areas, such as language studies (Fox et al, 2006), oral history (Janovicek, 2006), journalism (Dash, 2007), Internet research (Kitchin, 2003) and education (hemmings, 2006;Owen, 2006).…”

Professional ethics in building collections from oral traces of the past in Zimbabwe

“…Admittedly, harm may come to a narrator as a result of the information disclosed during the course of an interview. Some research ethics boards also equate harm with upsetting the informants (Janovicek 2006). …”