Oral Histories of Science Project
Purpose
The Oral History of Science Project has two main goals. The first is to preserve stories
that might otherwise fade from our collective memories. Outside of a few "rock star"
scientists, the personal narratives of most working in the physical or life sciences
is never spread outside of a small cluster of fellow co-workers. We live in a society
that laments the fact that we aren't producing enough PhDs, yet we let most of the men
and women who have followed that path toil unheard. The second goal is to get the next
generation to practice some of the tools they will need to use if they are to be successful
in science, namely networking and interpersonal skills. Far too many students think that only the
math and science they learn are important, and see all else as "soft skills." The reality
is that scientists who can't network or interact well usually have far less an impact than
those who do. If the young student can learn a bit of science, or even be inspired by an elder
while doing this project, that's icing on the cake.
Procedure
The student should arrange to interview a local scientist. Students may not interview their
relatives. While a mid-to-late career
scientist would be preferred, scientists who are at the start of their careers are also
allowed. Graduate students are not. For the sake of defining who is a scientist and
who is not, we will use a crude criterion: a scientist should have papers published in
peer-reviewed science journals. This discriminates towards academic scientists, but when
the project is better developed we will explore industrial scientists.
The interview must be recorded. Most oral historians have found that tape recorders are
less intrusive than video. THE STUDENT SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT HE OR SHE KNOWS HOW TO USE THE
RECORDING DEVICE. Note that an interview is not a dialog, the subject should be telling his
or her own story, not having a conversation with the interviewer. This means that formulating
good questions (open-ended, not "yes or no") prior to the interview is essential. Of course,
thinking on your feet and being able to ask good follow up questions is also a needed skill.
Reading any of Studs Terkel's works is good inspiration. The student should have the subject
sign a release at the time of the interview. Some people also like to take a photo or two to
accompany their interviews.
The topics covered in the interview are open to the student and the subject. They can be life
histories, narratives of great discoveries, interpersonal relations, what it was like to be a
member of a certain underrepresented group in the field... The interview session should be at
least an hour long. In addition, the subject should explain to the student his or her most
important scientific discovery.
The interview should then be transcribed (this can be out-sourced, it is the only part of the
process where the student does not have to put in the work). Once this been accomplished, the
student should contact the subject and have the transcript approved by the subject. At this
point the project is complete and can be handed into the project coordinator.
For more information on the oral history process, visit the
Step-by-Step Guide to Oral History.
Archives
The Project will maintain digital copies of the transcripts and scientific explanations
on the web.
Contact Information
People who want to be involved in the Oral History of Science Project should contact
Dr. David Marasco.
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