Original introduction & reading notes · Published 8 October 2026
Ask before recording
Begin by explaining what you want to make and how you might use it. A conversation remembered privately is different from an audio file published online. Ask permission for the recording and for the intended sharing, and accept a refusal without pressure. A speaker may be happy to discuss a story but prefer not to attach their name or location to it.
Leave room for uncertainty
Write the teller’s phrasing when you can, and mark where you have summarised. Add a date, a broad place and the source they remember learning it from. If they say they are unsure, retain that qualification. Do not upgrade a family recollection into an eyewitness account, or a story heard at school into an ancient local belief.
Separate your own layers
Use three blocks: what was said, what you observed, and your interpretation. Keep them distinct even when you type the notes later. If you change a spelling or expand an abbreviation, note the change. For a published text, add the edition and page or chapter. A future reader should be able to retrace your path without guessing which details were supplied by you.
Make a copy with boundaries
Give the teller a chance to correct your summary if appropriate, and retain the version they agreed could be shared. Remove private addresses and sensitive information from a public copy. Our notebook tool makes a plain text file locally in your browser; it sends nothing to this site. Store it where you choose and delete it when you no longer need it. No purchase is necessary to record a story: ordinary paper and a clear source label often do the job.
Follow the thread
Manx National Heritage, Folklore collection guide (research starting points) ↗
Traditional narrative is not a historical finding. Interpretive comments on this page are our own. No text here is presented as an eyewitness account.
Source method & more reading ↗