Le indagini sul campo: dalla trascrizione alla registrazione del dato

This paper examines methodologies and practices adopted over time by linguistic research, as found in the production, documentation, and use of oral materials. In particular, this study examines the relationship between the roles of the interviewer and his or her relationship with the speaker to ensure the accuracy of linguistic data and the collection technique. The use of the tape recorder allowed to fix, preserve, and replay the acoustic signal on a physical medium, allowing precise transcription, more rigorous phonetic analysis, and the sharing of the collected material among researchers. The affirmation of “sound heritage” as a “cultural asset” represented a crucial step, not only for the preservation of oral heritage, but also for the recognition of the epistemological value of recordings as primary sources.