PROPOSAL TYPE
Roundtable
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
RELATED TOPICS
- Archives
- Data/Information Management
- Oral History
- Preservation
ABSTRACT
SpeakEZ is a self-service tool designed at the University of Kentucky that automates the process of creating transcriptions from media files. After uploading, a user can batch run transcriptions, creating several at once. In addition to performing transcriptions, the system can carry out risk analysis on transcripts. This feature finds instances of defamation, racism, abuse, and anything that should be flagged before a public release. Finally, the system can automatically create an OHMS XML file that can be imported in the OHMS system. The generated file includes chapter points with time codes, titles, descriptions, and more. SpeakEZ is an all-in-one tool for accelerating the pace of oral history processing.
DESCRIPTION
My goal for this proposal is to introduce SpeakEZ, an all-in-one tool developed at the University of Kentucky to streamline and accelerate the processing of oral histories. The presentation will demonstrate SpeakEZ’s core functions: automated batch transcription from media files, a unique risk analysis feature to flag potentially sensitive content (defamation, racism, abuse), and the automatic generation of OHMS-compatible XML files complete with chapter points and metadata.
I am particularly seeking feedback from oral history practitioners to ensure the tool’s continued development aligns with the community’s real-world needs. I am looking for insights on the following:
* Practicality and Workflow Integration: How would a tool like SpeakEZ fit into your current processing workflow? What existing challenges could it solve, and what new ones might it create?
* Feature Gaps: Are there crucial features for oral history work that SpeakEZ currently lacks?
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly:
Vaiden Logan, University of Kentucky, [email protected]
All feedback and offers of assistance should be sent by November 15, 2025. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.