So how should writers handle the sourcing of personal interviews? If you use information or quotations that were taken from an interview with a source, you need to cite the source, how the information was collected, and when the interview was conducted. Because these interviews are not something that can be located by a reader in any published source or searchable database, they should not be included in your reference section.
How to Cite an Interview
There are some basic rules you should follow for an APA interview citation:
Include the last name and first initial of the intervieweeInclude the date the interview took placeNote indicating the type of interview
Here is the basic structure you should use: An example of how this would look in the body of your paper: If, however, you include the name of the interview subject in-text to introduce or paraphrase a quote, you do not need to list the source’s name again parenthetically. For example:
How to Note the Type of Interview
The APA offers some guidelines for how to handle different types of interviews:
Personal interviews: Whether your interview was conducted in person or via text or telephone, you should cite the information as a ‘personal communication.’ Emails: Because emails are not retrievable by other readers, the APA considers these as personal communications. They should be cited only in-text just as other interview sources and should not be included in your reference list.Class lectures: Like emails, information taken from a class lecture, guest lecture, or group discussion cannot be accessed by other readers, so it should be cited as personal communication.Research interviews: If you are interviewing a research subject, you will need to preserve the participant’s anonymity for ethical reasons. When referring to a specific participant, whether by summarizing their results or directly quoting their comments, you should be careful to avoid providing any identifying information. You might simply state that the individual is a participant or you might refer to them by non-identifying letters or nicknames (i.e. Student A, Participant B, etc.).
When to Use an Interview
There are a number of reasons why you might want to conduct an interview to gather information for your paper. Some reasons you might want to use an interview:
You have further questions that you want to ask an expert or researcher The written information on a topic is scantAn expert is able to offer specific insights that you cannot find elsewhere
Before You Do an Interview
There are some things that you should consider before you reach out to an expert for an interview. First and foremost, do not interview someone about the information that is easily available in published sources. You are responsible for conducting your own background research on a topic. Once you have done a thorough literature review and it becomes clear that there are knowledge gaps in the information that is publicly available, then consider reaching out to an expert for additional insight. Next, you should always approach the interview subject respectfully.
Be observant of their time constraintsBe willing to conduct the interview on the subject’s scheduleConduct the interview in the manner that best suits the subject’s needs, whether it is by phone, interview, or textHave your questions prepared in advanceSend a follow-up note or email thanking them for their time
A Word From Verywell
While APA format dictates that you should not include unpublished interview sources in your reference list, you should cite these sources in the text of your paper. By doing so, you help ensure that your readers have a better understanding of where you got the information. These citations also help readers better appreciate the special insights that these sources add to your arguments.
