The Society for Applied Anthropology Oral History Project provides an in-depth look at the careers of its members, highlighting their interdisciplinary approaches and the scientific principles they apply to understanding human relationships. Since its founding in 1941, the Society has been dedicated to promoting the use of anthropological methods to address real-world challenges globally.

The project’s collection, housed at the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries, features 173 interviews. These interviews explore the experiences of applied anthropologists, their diverse field studies, and their significant work with Native American communities in Arizona, New Mexico, Latin America, and other Indigenous populations worldwide.

Accessible via the Kentucky Oral History website, this project preserves these valuable narratives and makes many of them available to the public. The Oral History Project’s archives are listed in the Louie B. Nunn Center’s database.

Currently, 42 transcripts have been published in SfAA News, offering abridged and full-length versions. Each transcript is carefully edited and includes a thoughtfully written introduction. The SfAA Oral History Bibliography provides PDFs of these published interviews.

The SfAA welcomes suggestions for interview candidates to enhance this growing archive. If you have recommendations or questions, please contact info@appliedanthro.org. Your input is vital to the continued growth of this important resource.

Access the Oral History Project Database

Guidelines for Preparing Interviews

Format

Submit audio recordings in digital formats like MP3, MP4, WMA, or M4A. Video interviews are also encouraged and should be in formats such as MP4, MPEG, or MOV. Send completed recordings to Juliana McDonald at jmcdo2@uky.edu. Our host, the University of Kentucky Oral History Program, is converting its full collection to digital format.

Sound Quality

Ensuring good sound quality is essential, particularly balancing the audio levels between participants. Poor sound quality increases transcription costs and reduces accuracy. Practicing with your recording equipment beforehand can help minimize errors and distractions.

We have prepared an information sheet to help you plan interviews. The SfAA Oral History Committee can provide guidance upon request. For assistance, contact Juliana McDonald at jmcdo2@uky.edu.

SfAA Oral History Interview Suggested Topics

Each interview should be tailored to the interviewee’s career and experiences, focusing on their contributions to applied and practicing anthropology or sociology. Below are general topic areas for interview planning:

Development of Applied and Practicing Anthropology

  • Influences on the early development of applied and practicing anthropology/sociology
  • Integration of practicing anthropology into the broader discipline
  • Key challenges and issues addressed in applied anthropology/sociology
  • Notable stories and experiences that highlight the field’s evolution
  • Successes, disappointments, and future challenges

Personal Career

  • Educational background and early career influences
  • Decision to pursue anthropology/sociology
  • First experiences in applied anthropology/sociology: timing, location, results, and lessons learned
  • Career highlights and overall contributions to the discipline
  • Advice for junior colleagues and recommendations for training future applied social scientists
  • Personal reflections and other insights

A release form must be completed in order to participate in the Oral History Project. This form transfers the recording’s copyright and allows for specific conditions of use. You may choose to delay public access to the recording and transcript for a certain period if needed.

Online Release Form (preferred)

Hard Copy Release Form

Once the recording has been sent to Juliana McDonald at jmcdo2@uky.edu and the release form has been submitted, the recording will be archived, transcribed, and made available for scholarly use. Transcriptions are produced by professional transcribers and reviewed by editors familiar with the content to ensure accuracy. Transcripts are accessible for study at the University of Kentucky Library, and some may be published online. While usage restrictions are not encouraged, they can be applied if necessary.

Completed, transcribed, and reviewed interviews become valuable scholarly resources that can be cited. A suggested citation format is provided below:

Interview with (interviewee) by (interviewer), Applied Anthropology Oral History Project of the Society for Applied Anthropology, (date and place of interview), (page of transcript if applicable or total pages, i.e., XX pp.), in the Oral History Collection of the University of Kentucky.

An Example:
Interview with John W. Bennett by Robert L. Canfield, Applied Anthropology Oral History Project of the Society for Applied Anthropology, July 18 and 22, St. Louis, Missouri, 31 pp., in the Oral History Collection of the University of Kentucky.

Oral History Interviews Published in Recent SfAA News