Oral History Network of Ireland Seminar: Collecting Oral Narratives: Ethics, Best Practice and the Law

Title: Collecting Oral Narratives: Ethics, Best Practice and the Law

Date: Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Time: 6pm sharp.  Coffee and tea will be served from 5.30pm.
Venue: Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2

Event Summary: There are ethical and legal issues involved in the collection, storage and use of recorded spoken memories of the past, and OHNI members consider that it would be useful to have these issues debated by people with relevant expertise in a public forum. While oral history can offer access to aspects of the past not available through other sources, when used without careful consideration of these issues it can present difficulties.

The network is bringing together a panel of experts to start the discussion, which will be chaired by Justice Catherine McGuinness.  The panel includes archivists, lawyers specializing in the law as it applies to the collection, storage and dissemination of oral narratives, and historians. OHNI is also assembling an invited audience with specialist expertise to help enhance the debate from the floor.  Places will also be available to other interested parties on a first come, first served basis.

RSVP: If you are interested in attending the seminar please contact either Mary Muldowney ( mmuldwny@oralhistorynetworkireland.ie) or Ida Milne ( milnei@oralhistorynetworkireland.ie) as soon as possible. We expect there to be a keen demand for places which are limited by the size of the venue.

See the Oral History Network of Ireland website for more information