An oral-history interview lets Sengkang students hear how a person remembers an experience, place or period. It can add a human perspective to a project that would otherwise contain only dates and descriptions.
The National Archives of Singapore provides an oral-history search collection with different access conditions. Open-access interviews can be streamed, while restricted recordings require a request under NAS’s procedures.
Begin with a focused question and listen for what the speaker actually says. A personal account is valuable evidence, but it needs context and careful interpretation.
Choose your reading route
Find an interview that fits the question · Check access and prepare to listen · Distinguish recollection from your interpretation · Follow the citation and use instructions
Find an interview that fits the question
Use the NAS oral-history collection to search relevant names, places or subjects. NAS also describes browsing by interviewee and project title.
Read the record before listening. Check who was interviewed, when the interview took place and which period or subject it concerns.
A search for a current neighbourhood name may not find every relevant memory. Try related places or topics, while keeping your project’s question clear.
Check access and prepare to listen
NAS’s guidance distinguishes open-access streaming from restricted interviews that use Request to View. Read the individual record and current procedure before planning your research.
If a recording is restricted, allow for the request process rather than assuming you can hear it immediately. Keep working with other accessible sources meanwhile.
For an available recording, choose a manageable section and take notes as you listen. Record the track and timestamp so you can return to the passage accurately.
Distinguish recollection from your interpretation
Write down what the interviewee remembers separately from what you conclude. Note whether the speaker describes a personal experience, repeats someone else’s account or comments with hindsight.
Pay attention to uncertainty in the speaker’s wording. An approximate year should remain approximate in your project unless another source establishes it more precisely.
Compare important details with another suitable record. Differences may arise from different experiences or time periods, so examine them before deciding that one source must be wrong.
Follow the citation and use instructions
NAS’s oral-history guidance includes a permission procedure for citing transcripts and recordings. Review it before quoting material; the guidance requests details such as the interviewee, accession number and relevant passages.
Keep the source reference and timestamps even when making research notes. Do not publish a recording or transcript simply because you were able to access it.
If you need help finding the right collection or understanding access, our research-help guide explains how to prepare a focused enquiry.
Official sources and current checks
Resource information checked on 14 October 2026. Follow the current access, citation and use conditions for individual items.
