INTERESTED IN BEING AN ORAL HISTORY CONTRIBUTOR FOR PROJECT PERSES?
Awesome, here’s some more information about how we work.
I. WHAT IS AN ORAL HISTORY?
The Oral History Association defines oral history as “a field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants in past events.” Essentially, they are interviews with historical subjects or witnesses conducted by a historian. Using oral histories, historians gain a better understanding of the public’s perspectives and experiences during a certain event or time period. These sources add sentiment and humanity to our research, making it all the more representative of how the historical event actually took place. Though oral histories are formal historical sources, it really is just a conversation. We want to understand your story through your words and present them to the world in a meaningful way. Several years from now, when historians are researching how life changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, your oral history contribution could be an incredible and priceless asset!
II. HOW DO I BECOME AN ORAL HISTORY CONTRIBUTOR?
Project Perses will be gathering twenty oral histories for its first research study. We'd like to build a representative research cohort whose collective stories and experiences reflect that of the entire population of students who applied to college this year. For example, we want to include minorities and non-minority students. Both low-income and high-income students. Students who have a 4.0 GPA and those who have a 2.7 GPA.
Do you get the idea?
Unfortunately, that means that there’s a selection process for determining our research cohort. The questionnaire embedded in the "Share Your Story" tab asks for information about your demographics, education, extracurriculars, and college applications. It is due on March 15, 2021 and takes roughly 15 minutes to complete!
III. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO KNOW BEFORE APPLYING.
We require the following of all selected oral history contributors:
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General understanding of the college application process and related terms like test-optionality.
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Fluency in English as all oral histories are conducted in English.
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Honesty regarding your experience applying to college and academic qualifications.
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Permission to include your personal information like your name, hometown, high school, etc. in your oral history synopsis and transcripts.
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Your signature and a parental signature on a consent waiver* that grants Project Perses the sole rights over your oral history. This ensures that if we choose to donate your oral history to an archive, we have your full consent and the ability to do so.
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Permission to upload the audio recording and transcript of your oral history to our website.
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Participation in a recorded Zoom video call where the oral history will be conducted. The video recording will not be shared with anyone nor posted online. The purpose of conducting a video call is to assist with the transcription of your oral history.
Here’s the Project Perses official timeline:
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March 15, 2021: Project Perses Oral History Contributor Questionnaire Is Due.
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March 19, 2021: Project Perses Sends Email Notifications About Oral History Contributor Selections.
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March-May, 2021: Oral Histories Are Conducted and Transcribed.
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Late May**: Oral History Audio Recordings And Transcripts Are Published.
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Early June**: Research Report Based On Oral History Excerpts Are Published.
If you are selected as an oral history contributor, we will be in touch with you shortly thereafter to get your consent form signed. We will also discuss with you over email what topics you’re comfortable discussing in your oral history beforehand. Then, we will schedule your roughly 1-2 hours long oral history for the month of March.
To avoid prepared and rehearsed answers, you will not be getting a list of the questions asked during your oral history. However, you can rest assured that none of the questions we ask you will surprise you and will be related to the story you described in our questionnaire.
If you have any questions regarding Project Perses or the logistics of our work, please contact us at projectpersesoralhistories@gmail.com.
*All forms are linked below in the section titled "Forms."
**From personal experience applying to college, we understand that ambiguous deadlines may cause anxiety. Therefore, late means somewhere between May 20th to 31st and early translates to June 1st to 10th.
IV. FORMS
Project Perses Oral Histories Informed Consent Form
A Guide To Project Perses (For Accessibility)