Skip to main content
University of Texas at Austin Home
Voces Oral History CenterVoces Oral History Center logo
Menu
University of Texas at Austin Home
The University of Texas at Austin
Voces Oral History Center
  • Home
  • Donate
  • Events
  • News
  • About us Expand
    • Our Team
    • Voces Resource Council
    • Contact us
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
  • Collections Expand
    • Browse All
    • World War II
    • Korean Conflict
    • Vietnam
    • Political & Civic Engagement
    • Cynthia Orozco
    • Voces of a Pandemic
    • Barrio Dog Productions/ Jesus S. Trevino
  • Shop Expand
  • Donate Expand
    • General
    • Endowments & Planned Giving
  • News Expand
  • Resources Expand
    • Visit the Archive
    • Educators
    • Hispanic Heritage Month
  • Home
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How we work

Our interviews

We film our interviews with broadcast-quality, high-definition cameras. But that’s just the start; It takes a team to convert the interviews into multiple formats so they are easily accessible by researchers and the public. Our goal is to post as much of the transcribed interview as possible online, making it useful to a worldwide audience.


FAQs

Oral History Summer Institute

I have a request to have someone interviewed

We would love to accommodate everyone. But our funding and time is limited.

There are a few possibilities.

  • You conduct the interview yourself. We provide the paperwork and training. You find the equipment and/or a videographer.
  • Your loved one comes to Austin. We schedule an interview in our studios. You may still conduct the interview.
  • You provide funding to hire a professional videographer in your area and we find a videographer for you. You conduct the interview.
Note: On rare occasions, we accept funding for our staff to travel for an interview. This is generally the most expensive way to go.

COVID-19 Update: We are currently operating remotely and are working to collect stories of Latina/os in the pandemic. Requests outside of the pandemic collection may be delayed. All interviews with the center will be conducted via Zoom. If you are interested in conducting an interview with a loved one yourself, we are still happy to provide the instructions and materials.

Contact us
interview trip photo

What happens after you conduct an interview?

  • We first convert the videos into an editable video format.
  • We send those files to the library for digitization and preservation in a format that will be accessible for many, many years, long after DVDs and mp4s are not being used.
  • We create an online version (mp4) for our website and send a DVD or mp4 to the interview subject.
  • We also may create short documentaries, audio stories or photo stories based on the interview, archival photos, and documents.

See our collections
Part 4 - How we work

What is a MIIS?

The Voces Oral History Center conducts dozens of interviews every year. Some take place in a studio within the Moody College of Communication, others are in an individual's home or office. But the majority derive from Multiple Individual Interview Sessions (MIISes).

The MIISes are generally outside of Austin and are major productions, involving as many as 20 University of Texas faculty, students, and volunteers. At the end of the day, a MIIS may have recorded as many as 14 interviews: seven in a morning session and seven in the afternoon.

Learn More
Doing Oral History Cover

I want to start my own oral history project.

Fantastic!

We always recommend that people curious about starting their own projects read Donald Ritchie, "Doing Oral History."

Find a copy

Preparing for your interview

Philip Cervantes - Voces Oral History Project

What to bring

If you have any photographs, documents, awards, or other items of significance we request that you bring them with you. We'll scan them on site and return them to you.

Modesto Arriaga - Voces Oral History Project

What to wear

We generally recommend staying away from prints. Military or work-related uniforms are encouraged, but being comfortable is most important. Please note you will be on camera and have a portrait taken.

Food MIIS 2

Food & drink

At our MIISes we often provide water, coffee, tea, and assorted snacks. However, since you will be spending a large portion of the morning or afternoon with us, we suggest bringing any other foods you may need and eating them before or after your interview.

Voces Oral History Centermain_logo

This site is a special project of:

School of Journalism Logo

Moody College of Communication Logo

UT Libraries Logo

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
Subscribe to our email list to receive periodic updates and alerts from Voces
  • UT Austin Home
  • Emergency Information
  • Site Policies
  • Web Accessibility Policy
  • Web Privacy Policy
  • Adobe Reader

© The University of Texas at Austin 2022