How to Cite an Interview in APA Format

The reference list of a paper in APA contains a list of sources cited in the paper that can be located by readers. While much of your research may come from books, professional journals, newspapers, and online databases, sometimes you may find yourself needing information from other sources, like interviews.

But if you use information or quotations from an interview with a source, you still must cite the source, how the information was collected, and when the interview was conducted.

So how do you cite a personal interview in APA format?

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 things you should include in an APA interview citation:

• The first initial and last name of the interviewee
• The date the interview took place
• A note indicating the type of interview

Here is the basic structure you should use:

 (First Initial, Last Name, Type of interview, Date of interview)

In the body of your paper, this would look like:

 “Drug use among teens can be attributed to the increased availability of the substance” (R. Heathfield, personal communication, May 9, 2019).

However, i you 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:

 R. Heathfield (personal communication, May 9, 2019) suggested that the change in drug use among teens could be attributed to the increased availability of the substance.

How to Note the Type of Interview

The APA offers some guidelines for how to cite different types of interviews:

• Personal interviews: If 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 them to be personal communications. Emails should be cited 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 not to provide any identifying information. You might simply state that the individual is a research participant, or you can refer to them by non-identifying letters or nicknames (i.e. Student A, Participant B, etc.).

When to Use an Interview

There are several reasons why you might conduct an interview to gather information for your paper. For example:

• You have further questions that you want to ask an expert or researcher 
• Written information on a topic is scant
• You find an expert who can offer specific insights on a topic 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 information that is easily available in published sources. You are responsible for conducting background research on a topic and establishing a familiarity with the topic before the interview.

Once you have done a thorough literature review and it becomes clear that there are knowledge gaps in the publicly available information, you may consider reaching out to an expert for additional insight.

When reaching out to a possible interview subject, be sure to approach them respectfully. Make sure to:

• Be observant of their time constraints
• Be willing to interview the subject’s schedule
• Conduct the interview in the manner that best suits the subject’s needs, whether it is by phone, or text
• Have questions prepared in advance
• Send a follow-up note or email thanking them for their time

Summary

While APA format dictates that you should not include unpublished interview sources in your reference list, it is important to cite these sources in the text of your paper. By doing so, you will ensure your readers have an understanding of where you got your information. These citations also help readers better appreciate the unique insights these sources add to your arguments.