Oral History Interview Release Form
Notes about this form: Oral history involves interviewing individuals on a voluntary basis with the explicit intention of creating a historical document that will be preserved (generally in the form of the audio recording as well as the transcription of what was spoken) for the use of future researchers. We do not view this copyright as being granted exclusively to this repository; each of the parties to the interview has the right to use their own works as they see fit.
Agreement
In consideration of the recording and preservation of my oral history memoir by [the name, city and state of the organization you represent, if any], I the narrator, _____________ ______ _________ _________, hereby grant, assign, and give to the [name, city and state of the organization you represent, if any] the rights, including all literary and property rights unless restricted as noted below, to publish, duplicate, or otherwise use and dispose of the recording(s) and/or transcribed interview(s) recorded on __________________________, 201__ concerning ______________ ____________ _______ ______________________ _________ _______ and related subjects, and any videotaped footage and still photographs taken during the interview. This includes the rights of publication in print and in electronic form, such as placement on the Internet/Web for access by that medium, the right to rebroadcast the interview or portions thereof on the Internet and in other electronic formats, and permission to transfer the interview to future technological mediums. I (the narrator) hereby give the [name of the organization you represent, if any], the right to distribute the recording(s) and/or transcription(s) to libraries and educational institutions for scholarly and educational uses and purposes.
Similarly and for the same considerations noted preceding, I the interviewer ____________ ___________ ____________, hereby grant, assign, and give to the [name of the organization you represent, if any] the rights, including all literary and property rights unless restricted as noted below, to publish, duplicate, or otherwise use and dispose of the above described recording(s) and/or transcription(s) and any videotaped footage and still photographs taken during the interview. This includes the rights of publication in print and in electronic form, such as placement on the Internet/Web for access by that medium, the right to rebroadcast the interview or portions thereof on the Internet and in other electronic formats, and permission to transfer the interview to future technological mediums.
Likewise, I the director of [the name of the organization you represent, if any] hereby agree to preserve the products of this oral history interview according to accepted professional standards of responsible custody and agree to provide the narrator and interviewer (the oral authors) with access to the product(s) of the recorded interview(s).
Note any restrictions:
Dated:________ Signature of Narrator: ________________________________________
Narrator's name as he/she wishes it to be used: _______________________________
Narrator's address :________________________________________________________
(street or p.o. box) (city) (state) (zip code)
Narrator's phone number: (______) ______- ____________
Narrator's email address: _________________________________________________
Dated: ________ Signature of Interviewer: __________________________________
Interviewer's address :______________________________________________________
(street or p.o. box) (city) (state) (zip code)
Interviewer's phone number: (______) ______- _____________
Interviewer's email address: _________________________________________________
Dated: ________ Signature of Director: _________________________________________
Why use this oral history release form:
Oral history involves interviewing individuals with the explicit intention of creating a historical document that will be preserved (generally in the form of the audio recording as well as the transcription of what was spoken) for the use of future researchers. We work by the principle of informed consent, which means that each individual being interviewed fully understands the purposes and potential uses of the interview, as well as their freedom not to answer some questions and their right to restrict access to some portions of what was recorded, and that the narrator realizes that rather than being anonymous, their identification will be retained for the use of future researchers, who may draw from the interview to produce historical writings.
The use of legal releases, and our motivation for wanting oral history interviews to be retained in a historical repository, are linked (1) to our desire to provide access and (2) to comply with laws and ethical standards on issues of evidence and copyright, as further described below. (1.) If a researcher makes explicit use of an interview in written work (either by direct quotation and paraphrase), the interview should be cited in a footnote, so that others can identify and locate that information within the framework of extant evidence. That historical reference to oral history materials is not possible if the materials are kept in private hands. (2.) Each of the parties to an oral history interview (the narrator and the interviewer) holds the copyright to the products of their participation in the interview (for example, the interview, recorded words, photographs, and written materials), and thus both must sign an agreement that establishes access for those who in the future want to use the products of the interview. If the interviews are deposited in a library or archives, legal releases will establish ownership of the copyright and the terms of access and reproduction; and if the interviews are published, legal releases will satisfy publishers' concerns over copyright. We do not view this copyright as being granted exclusively to the repository; each of the parties to the interview has the right to use their own works as they see fit.
(Source: much of this explanation was drawn from the FAQ page of the American Historical Association pertaining to the federal policy excluding most oral history interviewing projects from Institutional Review Board review, viewed at http://www.theaha.org/PRESS/2003-11-10IRB.htm on 11/10/2003 but no longer active there. For more, read Oral History, Human Subjects, and Institutional Review Boards by Linda Shopes, active on the Oral History Association website as of 3/5/2015.)
Notes about this form: Oral history involves interviewing individuals on a voluntary basis with the explicit intention of creating a historical document that will be preserved (generally in the form of the audio recording as well as the transcription of what was spoken) for the use of future researchers. We do not view this copyright as being granted exclusively to this repository; each of the parties to the interview has the right to use their own works as they see fit.
Agreement
In consideration of the recording and preservation of my oral history memoir by [the name, city and state of the organization you represent, if any], I the narrator, _____________ ______ _________ _________, hereby grant, assign, and give to the [name, city and state of the organization you represent, if any] the rights, including all literary and property rights unless restricted as noted below, to publish, duplicate, or otherwise use and dispose of the recording(s) and/or transcribed interview(s) recorded on __________________________, 201__ concerning ______________ ____________ _______ ______________________ _________ _______ and related subjects, and any videotaped footage and still photographs taken during the interview. This includes the rights of publication in print and in electronic form, such as placement on the Internet/Web for access by that medium, the right to rebroadcast the interview or portions thereof on the Internet and in other electronic formats, and permission to transfer the interview to future technological mediums. I (the narrator) hereby give the [name of the organization you represent, if any], the right to distribute the recording(s) and/or transcription(s) to libraries and educational institutions for scholarly and educational uses and purposes.
Similarly and for the same considerations noted preceding, I the interviewer ____________ ___________ ____________, hereby grant, assign, and give to the [name of the organization you represent, if any] the rights, including all literary and property rights unless restricted as noted below, to publish, duplicate, or otherwise use and dispose of the above described recording(s) and/or transcription(s) and any videotaped footage and still photographs taken during the interview. This includes the rights of publication in print and in electronic form, such as placement on the Internet/Web for access by that medium, the right to rebroadcast the interview or portions thereof on the Internet and in other electronic formats, and permission to transfer the interview to future technological mediums.
Likewise, I the director of [the name of the organization you represent, if any] hereby agree to preserve the products of this oral history interview according to accepted professional standards of responsible custody and agree to provide the narrator and interviewer (the oral authors) with access to the product(s) of the recorded interview(s).
Note any restrictions:
Dated:________ Signature of Narrator: ________________________________________
Narrator's name as he/she wishes it to be used: _______________________________
Narrator's address :________________________________________________________
(street or p.o. box) (city) (state) (zip code)
Narrator's phone number: (______) ______- ____________
Narrator's email address: _________________________________________________
Dated: ________ Signature of Interviewer: __________________________________
Interviewer's address :______________________________________________________
(street or p.o. box) (city) (state) (zip code)
Interviewer's phone number: (______) ______- _____________
Interviewer's email address: _________________________________________________
Dated: ________ Signature of Director: _________________________________________
Why use this oral history release form:
Oral history involves interviewing individuals with the explicit intention of creating a historical document that will be preserved (generally in the form of the audio recording as well as the transcription of what was spoken) for the use of future researchers. We work by the principle of informed consent, which means that each individual being interviewed fully understands the purposes and potential uses of the interview, as well as their freedom not to answer some questions and their right to restrict access to some portions of what was recorded, and that the narrator realizes that rather than being anonymous, their identification will be retained for the use of future researchers, who may draw from the interview to produce historical writings.
The use of legal releases, and our motivation for wanting oral history interviews to be retained in a historical repository, are linked (1) to our desire to provide access and (2) to comply with laws and ethical standards on issues of evidence and copyright, as further described below. (1.) If a researcher makes explicit use of an interview in written work (either by direct quotation and paraphrase), the interview should be cited in a footnote, so that others can identify and locate that information within the framework of extant evidence. That historical reference to oral history materials is not possible if the materials are kept in private hands. (2.) Each of the parties to an oral history interview (the narrator and the interviewer) holds the copyright to the products of their participation in the interview (for example, the interview, recorded words, photographs, and written materials), and thus both must sign an agreement that establishes access for those who in the future want to use the products of the interview. If the interviews are deposited in a library or archives, legal releases will establish ownership of the copyright and the terms of access and reproduction; and if the interviews are published, legal releases will satisfy publishers' concerns over copyright. We do not view this copyright as being granted exclusively to the repository; each of the parties to the interview has the right to use their own works as they see fit.
(Source: much of this explanation was drawn from the FAQ page of the American Historical Association pertaining to the federal policy excluding most oral history interviewing projects from Institutional Review Board review, viewed at http://www.theaha.org/PRESS/2003-11-10IRB.htm on 11/10/2003 but no longer active there. For more, read Oral History, Human Subjects, and Institutional Review Boards by Linda Shopes, active on the Oral History Association website as of 3/5/2015.)
