The term oral archives refers to archives that contain oral sources; that is, archives where sound documentation is preserved in relationship to the context of production and described with adequately representation of this relationship.
Oral sources are one of the many kinds of sources that historians and researchers use. They are used by academics from many disciplines, with variable approaches. In general, oral sources are recordings of interviews and testimonies in audio and audiovisual formats..
Oral archives, consequently, represent a precious source of collective knowledge and memory, as they contain direct testimonies of experiences, life stories, cultural traditions, languages, offering an authentic and immediate perspective on a community's history and culture. These archives are crucial in understanding and preserving cultural identity, linguistic diversity and intangible cultural heritage. In addition, they are crucial for academic research, teaching, and the promotion of historical and cultural awareness.

However, the growing importance of these archives in the context of the rapid evolution of knowledge management practices has not yet been fully understood in Europe. This gap is due to a number of factors, including the lack of adequate infrastructure and policies for the preservation and access to oral archives, insufficient awareness of the importance of such archives in society and academic research, and the absence of common standards for the management and conservation of these resources. In particular, in Italy the situation is rather fragmented: in fact, the conservation of oral heritage is generally addressed at a local level or even by individual researchers. Furthermore, there is a lack of common protocols for the treatment of oral archives generated by past research.
This situation highlights the need for a more coordinated and strategic approach to preserve and enhance the oral heritage in Italy, and this is where the objective of ROADS lies.