Do you or any family members have memories of the Jake Walk?
If so, you are invited to participate in an oral history research project , entitled ‘Remembering the Jake Walk.’ The objective of the study is to better understand how Jamaica Ginger Paralysis affected survivors, their families, and their communities. I would be delighted if you would share your memories in an oral history interview with me.
What does taking part in the oral history interview involve?
I am hoping to interview either witnesses or those related to survivors of the Jake Walk. If you agree to take part in the study, an oral history interview with me would involve spending as little or as much time as you are comfortable with talking about your memories. The interview will be conducted face-to-face at a mutually convenient location or by Internet video conferencing software. You can choose not to answer any questions that make you feel uncomfortable and you may stop the interview at any time. You can change your mind and decide not to take part in this project at any time, if you wish, without giving a reason.
What will happen to your interview?
Your interview will be recorded then written down (transcribed) exactly as spoken on to paper. You have the right to put your own name to your interview recording and transcript or, if you prefer, to be anonymous (in which case your name will never be used publicly). A copy of your interview will be sent to you for checking, giving you the opportunity to indicate if you wish anything to be removed or changed. This protects your legal rights, ensures that your interview recording and transcript are properly and professionally archived and looked after and enables researchers to use your interview in any future research, should you wish to allow this.
For me to use your interview in any public outputs, for example publications, I must ask you to assign copyright – not to me, but to a responsible institutional archive. You will be sent a Recording Agreement Form along with the CD, on which you will be able to indicate your wishes regarding the confidentiality, storage and use of your recording. This procedure is in line with your legal rights and we operate strictly to the moral, ethical and legal requirements laid down by the institutional archive.
Where can I learn more?
I would be pleased to send you more information about the oral history interview process.