Out in the open : reflections on researcher well-being and emotional honesty in oral histories of trauma

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Mason, Sarah and Dee, Olivia and Kelly, Laura (2026) Out in the open : reflections on researcher well-being and emotional honesty in oral histories of trauma. Oral History, 54 (1). pp. 60-69. ISSN 0143-0955

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Abstract

Well-being and protection are central tenets of oral history: the historian is required to consider the ethics of their project and the potential impact on interviewees. However, what is to be said of the well-being of the oral historian? This article is a collaboration between three oral historians who focus on women’s history across Ireland, whose histories traverse especially traumatic periods and themes including the Northern Irish conflict, mother and baby homes, and obstetric and sexual violence. The aim of this collaboration was to discuss the issue of conducting emotionally charged traumatic histories and the mechanisms needed to ensure researcher well-being. This work was presented as part of a panel at the Oral History Society conference in June 2025.

ORCID iDs

Mason, Sarah, Dee, Olivia and Kelly, Laura ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7996-6021;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)