Regarding oral sources, Dr. Gripaldo will talk on this at length. What I want to emphasize is that an important source of oral history is the family histo- rian. Most families have interesting histories and, usually, a particular mem- ber of the family becomes the informal keeper of records and the teller of stories. He or she may be the exclusive source of anecdotes not only about relatives and ancestors, but even about persons outside of the immediate family and may have information about events that have been handed down from the earlier generations. A good historian would always cross- check these stories, and if proven reliable, an important primary source would have been discovered. Get to know these people, listen and record their stories, and then write the history they have narrated. Selecting a Research Topic