Informed Consent and Deed of Gift Documents

Informed Consent

An ‘Informed Consent’ document provides the interviewee with clear details about what uses you intend to put the recording too and how it might be used in the future. The Oral History Association provides a concise definition Links to an external site.:

"An agreement that documents, verbally or in writing, that the narrator has been given all the information necessary to come to a decision about whether to participate in the oral history project. Informed consent does not cover or deal with copyright. The interview process must be transparent, with ongoing participation, consent, engagement, and open discussion among all parties, from the first encounter between interviewer and narrator to the creation of end products. Informed consent plays a key role in ensuring transparency."

Deed of Gift

The Oral History Association provides a definition Links to an external site. of a "Deed of Gift":

"A deed of gift agreement defines how the narrator would like materials or rights related to an oral history to be managed as a donated collection—that is, transferred to an assigned party, such as the project director or a partnering/sponsoring organization or archive. What makes a deed of gift unique is that the narrator acknowledges granting these rights or materials without reciprocal compensation."