Oral history is a method of gathering, preserving, and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants in past events. It is a field of study that uses recorded interviews to collect memories and personal commentaries of historical significance. Oral history is both the oldest type of historical inquiry, predating the written word, and one of the most modern, using 21st-century digital technologies.

Here are some key features of oral history:

• Interviews: An oral history interview generally consists of a well-prepared interviewer questioning an interviewee and recording their exchange in audio or video format.

• Primary source: Oral history is a primary source of information, meaning it is not intended to present a final, verified, or "objective" narrative of events, but rather a spoken account that reflects personal opinion offered by the narrator.

• Subjectivity: Oral history is subjective, as it reflects the personal perspective and understanding of the interviewee.

• Unique perspective: Oral history shares the tacit perspective, thoughts, opinions, and understanding of the interviewee in its primary form.

Oral history can be used to gain understanding and insight into history, and it can be adapted to many different types of projects from family history to academic research projects in many different disciplines. It helps round out the story of the past by augmenting the information provided by public records, statistical data, photographs, maps, letters, diaries, and other historical materials. Oral history also helps us understand how individuals and communities experienced the forces of history.