Participatory Oral History Method — Community-Centered Life History Research

Participatory oral history method is a qualitative research approach in which community members are not merely interview subjects but active co-investigators who help shape the research questions, conduct or co-conduct interviews, analyze narratives, and govern how the resulting record is used. Rooted in both the oral history tradition and participatory action research, it foregrounds community ownership, reciprocity, and the democratic production of historical knowledge from marginalized or underrepresented voices.