Welcome to the National Archives repository in Memories at Old Ford Factory. The National Archives of Singapore houses the collective memories of the nation.

Everyone has a story to tell – story of success, of failures, of life’s happy moments, and moments of sadness. Since 1979, the Oral History Centre has started collecting these stories.

Through interviewing eye-witnesses of history in the making – be it events of national significance or simply a person living through an era of the past, oral history methodology enables one to capture social memories systematically. With clear objectives and targets set, it is also a form of qualitative research and documentation, often adding a third dimension to historical records.

1. Image of the Oral History Centre logo

This logo represents the entire oral history workflow and philosophy. The face-to-face interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee is essential in encouraging a meaningful interview.

The open reel was the medium used to record oral history when the programme first started in 1979. Follow the tape and you see the digital transformation to the current holding medium, which is a compact disc. The pixels illustrate the transformation of oral history recording technology.

What do you think the logo looks like? It resembles a "?" which is essentially what oral history is about – the asking of questions. Crafting of good interview questions require professional oral history training. Good questions should not be bias and should encourage the interviewee to share.

You also see a number "9", which in Chinese culture represents longevity or infinity. This is what oral history tries to achieve. If you imagine a little, you actually see a "%" sign. Similarly, oral history is not about interviewing everyone, but a representative group. The selection of interviewees is therefore a skill which interviewers should possess to ensure good representation.

Workflow
The workflow gives an overview of the various aspects in conducting oral history. The preliminary interview is important as it allows the interviewer to find out more about the interviewee’s character, to establish rapport and to decide on the interview approach. The preliminary interview is also likely to throw up useful background information, especially where little or no information is available on the interviewee. If the interview is likely to be conducted at the interviewee’s place, the interviewer should also take the opportunity to assess the recording environment.

2. Interview photos

The technique of interviewing is very much an art. It depends on the interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee. As the interviewer needs to multi-task during the interview, it is important for him to be alert and sensitive to the interview process and the surrounding environment. The interviewer should be in control of the interview at all times and guide the interviewee through the process by deploying appropriate interviewing techniques. In addition, the interviewer has to pay attention to the environment to ensure that the recording quality is not affected.

Whether is it in the comfort of a recording studio, in an interviewee’s home or out in the open fields, interviewers must be equipped with relevant skills to ensure the interview is properly recorded with the best sound quality possible.

After the interview is completed, synopses are written and selected ones are transcribed. The purpose of documentation is to provide a systematic access to the collection by maintaining a proper record of detailed information on each interview. Documentation involves organising and describing the collection, as well as preserving the recordings.

3. Interviewee Information Sheet/CORD data entry

In the past, interviewee information is filled in forms such as this, and kept in the case file for future reference. However, since the introduction of a digital database such as this in 2004, interviewee information is keyed directly onto the database and stored digitally. This is a more effective way of storing interviewee information as the interviewer no longer need to retrieve physical files.

To ensure oral history interviews are preserved for posterity, the master tapes are kept in appropriate storage conditions. The Centre started out preserving its analogue recordings in 7 inch open reels, and today the WAV format is adopted for digital recordings and recorded in good quality CD-R and DVDs. The storage environment has a direct impact on the physical conditions of the disc and tapes. The most critical factors include pollution, temperature, humidity, light and biological agents.

Oral history adds a dimension of realism to historical facts and can be used for multi-purpose uses. In publications, oral history accounts are cited to support and illustrate the written narrative. In exhibitions, it is effective when the user personally hears the inflections, emotions and expressions in the sound recordings which cannot be captured in print form.

4. Photo of Irene Quah with Paul Thompson

To improve the professional skills of interviewers, the Centre regularly sends interviewers overseas for professional training. This is a photo of a former staff taken with the oral history guru Paul Thompson when she went UK for professional training. Equipped with professional oral history skills, the interviewers can conduct training and create interest in oral history as part of dissemination.

The clock symbolises the work of oral history where time is of the essence. Everyday is a race against time to capture the memories and reflections of individuals, many of whom are elderly.

Although seemingly small and insignificant, the clock is also something that interviewers have to consciously look out for during an outdoor preliminary session. Together with other sources of potential noise such as air-con, fan, television and playground, the interviewer has to make sure that such distractions do not affect the quality of the recording.

It may sound morose but looking through the obituary pages in the newspaper is something that interviewers have to do daily. Knowing when an interviewee pass away will not only enable timely release of the interview for public access – in cases where the interviewees have stipulated, the notice can also be a useful lead to identify more potential interviewees - from the list of relatives.

6. 3,330, 16,053

Want to make a guess what these numbers stand for? 3,330 is the total number of interviewees we have interviewed, and 16,053 is the total number of hours we have collected since. The Centre’s collection is extensive not only in terms of the subject and content, but also in the variety of languages and dialects recorded, although majority is conducted in English.

This is the photo of an interview conducted using an open reel recording machine.

7. Recorders on weighing scales

Want to make a guess what was the weight that interviewers had to carry in the early ‘80s? Interviewers then had to carry the open reel recording machine and 5 inch open reels for outdoor interviews, and this weight is about 4.5kg, and that is about three times the current weight of the equipment used.

Advancement of technology has lightened the load for interviewers today. Besides a more compact and lighter recording machine, the recording media has also decreased in weight and size, although it has increased in recording capacity.

8. Case file display

A case file is maintained to collate information on each interview and it serves as a good reference resource for interviewers.

This showcase features three generations of transcribing machines which corresponds to the changes in the recording media. As transcription is a time consuming process and due to limited resources, the Oral History Centre only transcribes up to one third of its collection.

While the master copies of the interviews are kept in this repository, the working copies of open access interviews are available at the Archives Reading Room for public use. To facilitate online access, selective transcripts and sound clips are also uploaded for online search and listening.

Before the widespread use of computers and Chinese word processing software, transcribing interviews in Chinese was a tedious process, almost like a mini typesetting in newspaper printing. Transcribers had to use a lever to control an arm that picks up one Chinese character at a time, from the tray of commonly used characters. Adding to the challenge was the need to recognise characters which were placed on the reverse. Once the character is placed, it is pressed against the paper on a drum and the word is imprinted on the paper.

While the chair is used to support an object displayed, it also illustrates an aspect of interview technique. Like the clocks which have two meanings, the chair is a reminder that interview sessions should be set in a comfortable sitting environment, especially for long sessions.

10. Selected pages of open access transcripts

The last item on display is an example of an open access interview transcript. Researchers can view open access interview transcripts via the National Archives online finding aid portal.