Transform Your Interview Transcripts into Interactive Digital Collections

Oral History as Data (OHD) is a free, open-source framework for publishing, analyzing, and visualizing coded oral history interviews.

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Oral History as Data visualization example

Built on CollectionBuilder

A fully-featured digital exhibit site for oral histories, interviews, and all your other items as well.

Interactive Visualizations

Analyze interview content through powerful color-coded thematic visualizations.

Free & Open Source

Built on GitHub Pages and Jekyll - host your project for free with no ongoing costs.

Powerful Features for Oral History Research

Thematic Coding System

Apply your own analytical codes to transcripts. OHD automatically transforms these into an interactive color-coded visualization that reveals patterns across your interviews.

  • Custom tag creation
  • Visual theme analysis
  • Interactive filtering by theme

CSV-Driven Workflow

Manage all your interview transcripts through simple spreadsheets. Add speaker identifications, thematic tags, and timestamps using familiar tools like Google Sheets (don't use Excel!).

  • Simple CSV format
  • Work with familiar spreadsheet tools
  • Batch upload multiple interviews

Media Integration

Connect transcript segments with synchronized audio or video recordings. Support for YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, and MP3 files with timestamp navigation.

  • Timestamp synchronization
  • Multiple media sources supported
  • Jump to specific interview moments

Responsive Design

Your oral history collection works beautifully across all devices - from desktop computers to tablets and smartphones. Provide access to your research wherever your audience is.

  • Mobile-friendly interface
  • Accessible design
  • Built on Bootstrap framework

Simple Workflow from Transcript to Publication

1

Prepare Your Transcripts

Format your interview transcripts into a simple CSV structure with columns for speaker, words, and optional tags. Use familiar tools like Google Sheets or Excel.

2

Set Up Your Repository

Click "Use This Template" on GitHub to create your own project repository. No coding skills required - everything is pre-configured and ready to use.

3

Upload Your Data

Add your transcript CSVs to the repository and create a simple metadata file for each interview. Link to audio/video sources if available.

4

Customize & Publish

Adjust the site configuration, add your project information, and enable GitHub Pages. Your interactive oral history collection is now live on the web!

Featured Projects Built with OHD

Voices of Gay Rodeo project screenshot

Voices of Gay Rodeo

A collection documenting the experiences of LGBTQ+ participants in western rodeo culture and sport through detailed interviews.

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Taylor Wilderness Research Station Archives project screenshot

Taylor Wilderness Research Station Archives

Featuring interviews with Wilderness Researchers, Students, and Caretakers

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CTRL+Shift project screenshot

CTRL+Shift

Examining poets' writing practice through evolution of digital practices and creative workflows.

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100+ Podcast Collection project screenshot

90+ Podcast Collection

A LARGE collection of podcasts automatically tagged and visualized using OHD's JSON generation option.

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Built on CollectionBuilder

CollectionBuilder Logo and Features

Leveraging the Power of CollectionBuilder

Oral History as Data is built on top of CollectionBuilder, giving you all the additional capabilities of this powerful digital collection framework:

Metadata-Driven Websites

Create beautiful digital collections using just spreadsheets and digital files

Lightweight Infrastructure

Static sites that require no databases or server-side processing

Customizable Visualizations

Interactive timelines, maps, item galleries, and browsing interfaces

Data as a Service

Your collection is available in multiple open data formats (CSV, JSON)

Learn More About CollectionBuilder

Ready to Build Your Oral History Project?

Follow these simple steps to create your own interactive oral history collection:

Use Our Template

Start by clicking "Use This Template" in our GitHub repository to create your own copy.

GitHub Template

Read the Documentation

Our comprehensive documentation walks you through every step of the process.

Documentation

Explore the Demo

See OHD in action with our demo site featuring sample interviews and visualizations.

View Demo