I Want a Life Story not a Life Sentence. Legal, Ethical and Human Rights Issues Related Recording, Transcribing and Archiving Oral History Interviews

This paper explores legal, ethical and human rights issues of conducting oral
history interviews and focuses on problematic factors related to depositing the
resultant audiotapes and transcripts in archives. Methods of protecting those
who may be harmed in anyway by the tapes or transcripts being open to public
access are identified. The potential ethical and legal consequences for
researchers are explored. The interviews were part of an historical research
study into the history of Nursing in the two West Yorkshire towns of Halifax
and Huddersfield, United Kingdom (UK) between 1870-1960. The two
methodological approaches were analysis of the primary and secondary
documentary archival sources, and oral history interviewing of a sample of
twenty-one retired nurses ranging from 65-97 years old representative of
location and career experience to ensure a strategic purposive sample. The
resultant audiotapes and transcripts will be stored in the archives of The
University of Huddersfield.