What if the interviewees recall of factual information is inexact or inaccurate?
Oral history testimonies are unique in that they are personal, emotional, and subject to the vagaries of memory. The purpose of oral testimony is not only to gather facts, but also to glean a deeper understanding of the interviewee’s experience. Unlike most documentation from the period-written by the perpetrators-oral testimony gives the voice to the survivors and other witnesses. Their memories of particular events may or may not conform to the written historical record. However, the narratives offer a deeper understanding of events as they were lived and filtered through personal reflection.
