American Polar Exploration Oral History Interviews

100 interviews with scientists, military personnel, and explorers document early American polar exploration since the 1920s. The project, administered by The Ohio State University and The American Polar Society, resulted in nearly 300 hours of audio recordings. Abstracts and transcripts for most interviews are available for research.

Use Cases

• Analyze interview transcripts for themes in polar science and logistics.
• Study audio recordings for linguistic patterns and narrative structure of exploration accounts.
• Link interview abstracts to specific individuals and their roles in expeditions.
• Research temporal trends in polar exploration from the 1920s onward using interview metadata.

Strengths

• 100 interviews provide a substantial collection of primary source material.
• Nearly 300 hours of audio documentation offers a detailed oral record.
• Transcripts are available for most interviews, enabling text analysis.

Limitations

• The exact number of completed transcripts and their availability is not fully specified.
• Sample size is fixed at 100 interviews, limiting statistical analysis.
• Data access for transcripts requires direct contact, which may hinder immediate use.

Provenance

Source

The Ohio State University's Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program and The American Polar Society.

Collection Method

Interviews conducted with individuals involved in polar regions since the 1920s.

Time Range

Interviews cover experiences from the 1920s onward.

Geography

Focus on American polar exploration in Arctic and Antarctic regions.