University of Plymouth History students are leading the way in developing new methods and approaches to Oral History and Digital Story Telling.
Recent Projects include
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder digital story-telling project with Britannia Royal Naval College
A Plymouth History graduate Ciaran Bishop translated his passion for military history and technical skills into the development of a database, including data-entry protocols. Together with Thomas E. Davies, Lucy de Groot, Elliot Clark, they populated the database to reach our target of 250 entries. This was time-consuming work that has enabled us to move to the next stage of this five year project. While the voluntary contribution of their time was commendable, most impressive was the ingenuity they showed, opening new and unexpected trajectories of enquiry, applying in the process research skills and scholarly judgement from their studies. Their contribution has helped to demonstrate the importance, timeliness, and above all, viability of this pilot project.
Plymouth History students played a leading role in gathering raw data, but shaping from its outset the direction and questions the Project will ask.
Thomas E. Davies on his collaboration with the Project: ‘History with Plymouth University has opened up many new and exciting opportunities…[including]…working with the [Britannia Royal] Naval College, allowing me to actively engage in new research from the beginning’.
First Southwest Transnational Beginners Oral History Community
On Saturday 22 September, University of Plymouth History - in collaboration with the Centre for Oral History and Tradition (University of Lethbridge, Canada) - ran its first Southwest Transnational Beginners Oral History Community Workshop. Participants from around Devon participated in a full day introduction to the practice of using interviews to collect historical data and record the past through the memories of people whose experiences narrate history. This taster session covered project planning and development, how to conduct interviews with interview-practice sessions using recorders, transcription exercises and archiving discussions, all followed by a case study of one of the UK's most successful oral history projects, the award-winning Stone House 100 Homes Project led by Pete Davey and Donna Maughan. fees included lunch, refreshments, and a pack of practical information and resources.
Plymouth History students Donna Maughan and David Angeles who are specialising in oral history methodology and practice helped to organise and facilitate the Workshop. but their contribution to discussions and activities enhanced participants' learning experience.