Historian's Toolkit

Crowdsourcing Memory for Historical Research

In the digital age, history is no longer the sole domain of archives and institutions. Today, memories are stored in cloud drives, social media, smartphones, and community platforms. For historians, educators, and researchers, this shift opens a powerful opportunity: to engage the public directly in collecting, curating, and preserving historical experiences. This is the essence of crowdsourcing memory—using digital tools to gather firsthand stories, images, documents, and interpretations from the public at large.

From neighborhood history projects to pandemic diaries, crowdsourced collections allow broader participation and democratize the historical record. Yet they also come with challenges around accuracy, ethics, and sustainability. This article explores how to responsibly and effectively design a crowdsourced history project, offering step-by-step guidance, platform recommendations, and real-world examples.

Why Crowdsourcing Memory Matters

Crowdsourcing historical memory enables researchers to:

• Access localized or personal histories often absent from formal archives
• Capture the diversity of lived experience, especially during major events
• Foster public engagement and ownership of history
• Respond rapidly to unfolding historical moments, such as protests, disasters, or public health crises

Projects like A Journal of the Plague Year (Arizona State University, 2020) or Europeana’s 1914–18 Family History archive show how crowdsourced initiatives can become invaluable repositories of collective memory.

But more than just collecting data, these projects reshape historical practice: they position ordinary individuals not only as witnesses, but as co-creators of the historical narrative.

Step 1 – Define Your Purpose and Scope

Before you launch, be clear about your goals. Ask:

• What type of history are you trying to collect—local, thematic, event-based?
• Is your aim to preserve memory, build a dataset, support activism, or all three?
• Who is your target contributor group—community residents, students, diaspora?

Start small if needed. For instance, a university-based project may focus only on students’ COVID-19 experiences or a neighborhood’s migration stories. A narrow focus often yields richer, more usable content.

Case Example: Mapping Queer Belfast

The Mapping Queer Belfast initiative collected personal recollections of LGBTQ+ spaces and events in the city. By defining their geographic and thematic focus early on, organizers were able to design a streamlined submission process and promote effectively within relevant communities.

Step 2 – Choose the Right Platform

Your digital platform will shape what you collect and how contributors engage. You can build a custom site, use open-source tools, or adapt existing platforms.

Open-Source Tools

Omeka S + Contribution Plugin: Popular among academic institutions for archival-style digital exhibits. The Contribution plugin allows users to upload stories, photos, and metadata.

CollectiveAccess: Offers detailed metadata customization, ideal for long-term institutional projects.

Lightweight Solutions

Google Forms: Easy to deploy, suitable for small-scale projects, though limited in functionality.

Padlet or Jamboard: Good for visual storytelling, especially in classroom settings.

StoryCorps Connect: Designed for recording remote oral histories with consent built in.

Dedicated Platforms

Historypin: A visual mapping tool for geotagging photos and stories. Best for spatial history.

Zooniverse: For more complex crowdsourcing, such as transcription or tagging historical documents.

Be sure the platform supports consent, allows basic moderation, and is easy to use on mobile devices—many contributors will be on smartphones.

Step 3 – Design an Accessible Contribution Process

Your success depends on how easy (or hard) it is for people to contribute. A well-designed submission process should include:

Clear prompts: Ask specific questions like “What do you remember about this building?” or “How did your community respond to the blackout?”

Media uploads: Allow contributors to submit images, audio, or video.

Consent and copyright language: Make sure contributors understand how their materials will be used.

Anonymity options: Some people may wish to contribute without revealing identity, especially with sensitive subjects.

Create a short FAQ section and visual guides if possible. Many successful projects also include “starter stories” to show the type and tone of contributions you’re looking for.

Step 4 – Promote and Build Community Engagement

Crowdsourcing only works if people know about it and trust it. Outreach should begin before launch and continue throughout the project lifecycle.

Outreach Strategies

Partner with community organizations: Libraries, schools, faith groups, and neighborhood associations often serve as trust bridges.

Use social media: Twitter threads, TikTok explainers, and Instagram stories can raise awareness and guide users through submissions.

Offer workshops or pop-up events: Host storytelling sessions, memory circles, or scanning stations in local spaces.

Crucially, make contributors feel valued. Acknowledge their submissions, offer updates, and consider featuring stories or interviews in newsletters or public exhibitions.

Step 5 – Curate, Moderate, and Preserve

Collecting is just the beginning. Once content arrives, you’ll need a strategy for organizing and presenting it.

Tag and categorize submissions: This aids navigation and analysis. Use consistent metadata standards where possible.

Moderate with care: Vet for harmful or inaccurate content, but don’t overly sanitize. Leave space for conflicting memories or emotions.

Preserve the data: Don’t let your project vanish when funding ends. Store data in a stable archive, and consider depositing with a university or digital heritage organization.

If your project involves vulnerable communities or topics, develop ethical review protocols and engage with contributors before using their stories in public ways.

Step 6 – Reflect, Share, and Sustain

At the project’s close (or key milestones), reflect publicly on what was learned. Share outcomes in blog posts, academic papers, or public exhibitions. Create a feedback loop with your contributor base.

Even small-scale projects can become long-term community resources if designed well. Consider training future stewards—such as students or librarians—to continue updating or using the materials.

Long-Term Use Cases

• Oral histories collected during a protest movement can inform public policy reports.
• Family photographs submitted during a community memory drive can feed into a future museum exhibit.
• Pandemic diary entries might support mental health curriculum or sociological analysis.

Crowdsourcing as Participatory History

Crowdsourcing memory is more than a data collection technique. It’s an act of trust, collaboration, and storytelling. Done well, it enriches the historical record, invites marginalized voices into the archive, and empowers the public to claim ownership of their past.

By leveraging the tools available—from Google Forms to robust open-source platforms—and approaching communities with humility and clarity, historians and educators can co-create histories that are more inclusive, responsive, and representative of the times we live in.

Crowdsourcing memory reminds us that history is not only about the past—it’s also about who gets to remember, and how.