This handbook brings history to life and makes it tangible

19 August 2026 Research news item

When you think of a historian, you’re more likely to picture someone surrounded by piles of books and archive documents than an interviewer who sets out to talk to people. And although historians have been using oral history since the 1960s, this method is still not widely incorporated into academic programmes. A new Dutch-language handbook, aimed at both beginners and experts, could change that.

Have you ever asked your grandparents what it was like back in the day? How they grew up? How they lived? Or, on a more serious note: what it was like to experience grief, loss or war? You’re not the only one. And although you probably didn’t realise it at the time, you were practising oral history – the research method whereby you learn more about the past through interviews.

‘We live in an age where there is a great deal of interest in the past. History is very much present in people’s everyday lives. In newspapers and podcasts or live at festivals: there are countless settings in which people ask each other about their past,’ explains Marloes Hülsken, assistant professor gender history at Radboud University. ‘Academics, too, make good use of this method. Oral history helps to gather knowledge about the past, to challenge dominant narratives and to incorporate other stories and perspectives.’

According to Hülsken, oral history is an emancipatory method: the stories of groups of people who cannot be found in archival sources can often be brought to light through oral history. Think of the history of social movements, such as the lesbian movement or the anti-apartheid movement. ‘It is also a very personal and human research method; the past becomes very close and tangible.’ Through oral history, pupils and students can experience that history can also be about themselves and their own family history, for example. Oral history also plays a major role in Dutch historiography concerning the Second World War. ‘The then National Institute for War Documentation (now NIOD) made extensive use of witness accounts to uncover stories from the war, such as those about life in the camps.’

From beginner to expert

Although the method has been around for a long time, oral history is still scarcely integrated into Dutch history curricula, except perhaps in certain optional modules. There was also no Dutch handbook on the subject. Hülsken decided, together with historian Susan Hogervorst, to write Oral History: A Handbook for Research, Education and Heritage. ‘The handbook is intended for anyone who wants to get started with oral history. That could be an expert who has been practising oral history for years, but also someone who is just starting out. Students, teachers, researchers, journalists and museum staff, as well as anyone who wants to delve into their own family history. Do you want to find out more about your grandparents’ migration history or your aunt’s or neighbour’s history of activism? Then this book will help you get started.’

The handbook describes every step in the oral history process: the preparation, the interview itself and the follow-up work, as well as issues such as archiving, analysing, coding and interpreting, and how to construct a historical narrative based on interviews, all supplemented with practical tips. These may cover how to ring someone up, the importance of a particular location for the interview, and how to ask good questions. But they also cover what agreements you should make regarding the use of someone’s story and the archiving of the interview, whether you’re working on a research project, a podcast or a family history. In addition, the authors explore theoretical concepts relevant to oral history and discuss themes such as subjectivity, memory, co-creation, positionality and the sharing of authority.

After all, there is a great deal involved in practising oral history, as Hülsken knows from years of experience. She gives a few examples. ‘I’ve conducted many interviews in the Limburg countryside and, hospitable as the people were, they offered to pick me up from the station and I was often invited to join them for a meal. Whether or not to accept a lift, speaking the same language or knowing the area – it all has an impact on the rapport with the other person and the way the conversation unfolds. The same applies when someone says or does something with which you strongly disagree. As an interviewer, do you express your opinion on matters, or do you refrain from doing so? The interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee always influences the course of the conversation and, consequently, the historical knowledge you acquire. The same applies to whether you are an ‘insider’ or an ‘outsider’ as an interviewer. Or whether you share certain experiences or characteristics with the interviewee, such as gender, age, occupation or ethnicity, affects how the conversation unfolds. Both positions have advantages and disadvantages. Reflecting on these kinds of issues leads to a better interview and aids analysis and interpretation.’

Coming back to it

The many factors that can influence a narrative are precisely what lead some people to question the reliability of oral history as a method. Hülsken does not deny that stories are subjective and that memories become distorted over time. ‘But if you’re aware of that, as well as of your own role, it’s actually a very valuable method. You not only learn something about a particular past, but also about what that past means in the present and how memories work,’ explains Hülsken. ‘It is precisely with written sources that we sometimes assume they must be accurate, simply because they are written. But we must not forget that those sources were often originally created through oral tradition as well. Oral historians are, in fact, usually highly self-reflective, often even more so than historians who use other types of sources.’

If Hülsken were to offer one piece of advice, it would be to be as transparent as possible about the process from the outset and to check in with the interviewee at every stage. ‘Make it clear what your aim is in conducting the interview and ask what the interviewee hopes to achieve by taking part in the conversation. And for novice interviewers: don’t be too hard on yourself, have the confidence to ask questions and practise. Have you conducted an interview and felt it didn’t go very well? Just ask if you can come back another time.’

Marloes Hülsken en Susan Hogervorst, Oral history. Handboek voor onderzoek, onderwijs en erfgoed. Amsterdam University Press, 2026.

Photo via Unsplash

Contact information

Organizational unit: Faculty of Arts, Radboud Institute for Culture and History
About person: Dr M. Hülsken (Marloes)
Theme: History, Science