Qualitative Methods
Caitlin Dailey, MA (she/her/hers)
Senior Research Lead
FHI 360, United States
Amy L Detgen, MPA (she/her/hers)
Senior Research Lead
FHI 360
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Location: White River Ballroom B
Oral history preserves memories, combining individual perspectives to craft a multifaceted prism on past events that honors the subjectivity inherent in storytelling. Evaluation methods often capture what happened in the course of programs or interventions using qualitative data from documentation, interviews, focus groups and observations, and what happened as a result of the program or intervention using quantitative data. Oral history as an evaluation method elevates contextual relevance, allowing evaluators to capture the fuller picture of individuals’ experiences of the program or intervention. The session will draw from the example of It Just Felt Really Important: An Oral History of Bridge to Employment. Bridge to Employment provides academic enrichment activities, career readiness and exploration opportunities, and higher education preparation to secondary students interested in STEM careers, relying on partnerships among Johnson & Johnson local operating companies, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education. Established in 1991 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Bridge to Employment has expanded across the past 30 years to dozens of sites spanning six continents. The breadth and depth of Bridge to Employment implementation, and the multiplicity of perspectives built into its model, are a ripe opportunity for oral history. This skill building workshop will provide opportunities to practice the skills necessary to conduct oral histories. Participants will engage in hands-on opportunities to practice framing oral histories, crafting questionnaires, interviewing fellow participants using oral history techniques, and weaving stories out of multiple perspectives.