{"id":44839,"date":"2026-02-06T10:49:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T05:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?p=44839"},"modified":"2026-02-03T16:51:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T11:21:56","slug":"how-to-cite-an-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-cite-an-interview","title":{"rendered":"How to Cite an Interview in APA, MLA, and Chicago Reference Format"},"content":{"rendered":"

Formatting references in research papers\u00a0requires you to follow the journal guidelines and\u00a0ensure that the\u00a0format aligns with a specific style guide.\u00a0References can be of\u00a0different types\u2014journal articles,\u00a0conference papers, books, technical reports, and interviews\u00a0to name a few. If you have\u00a0referred\u00a0a work to help\u00a0conduct your research and you find it worth citing in your manuscript, all those works must be listed under references\u00a0at the end of your manuscript.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This blog explains how to cite and format interviews in APA (7<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0edition), MLA (9<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0edition), and Chicago (17<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0edition)\u00a0style formats.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are Interview Citations?<\/a><\/p>\n

Types of Interviews<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Cite\u00a0Interviews in APA\u00a0Style Format<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Cite\u00a0Interviews in MLA\u00a0Style Format<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Cite\u00a0Interviews in Chicago\u00a0Style Format<\/a><\/p>\n

What are Interview Citations?<\/h2>\n

Just like how you\u00a0cite\u00a0journal articles or other\u00a0reference works,\u00a0citing\u00a0interviews is\u00a0a formal way of\u00a0acknowledging that a person contributed to your research.\u00a0The format of interview can vary\u2014spoken, video recording,\u00a0or email communication.\u00a0But it is important that you credit the right people\u00a0for\u00a0assisting\u00a0you with your research.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Interview citations also help you\u00a0develop\u00a0credible research,\u00a0avoid plagiarism,\u00a0prevent\u00a0spreading of\u00a0misinformation,\u00a0and\u00a0ensure that your sources are\u00a0officially\u00a0verified.\u00a0The format of interview citations\u00a0depends on the type of interview conducted\u00a0as well as\u00a0the requirements of different style guides.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of Interviews<\/h2>\n

Before learning about formatting interview\u00a0citations,\u00a0it is important to know the types of interviews that\u00a0you are likely to\u00a0encounter\u00a0during your research. Interviews can be broadly categorized into two types:\u00a0<\/span>personal interviews<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>published interviews<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Personal Interviews<\/h3>\n

Interviews conducted by you either through a telephonic conversation, an\u00a0e-mail\u00a0communication,\u00a0a conference\u00a0call,\u00a0or video recording\u00a0are\u00a0considered personal interviews.\u00a0These interviews are\u00a0unpublished,\u00a0yet they need to be acknowledged.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Published Interviews<\/h3>\n

Published interviews are those that are recorded\u00a0and\u00a0publicly\u00a0available for access.\u00a0For example,\u00a0if you find\u00a0some information that is relevant to your research in an interview that you read in a newspaper,\u00a0or watched an interview on YouTube,\u00a0or heard it on a podcast\u00a0and decided to quote\u00a0them in your manuscript,\u00a0then\u00a0these need to be\u00a0written as in-text citations\u00a0and\u00a0listed\u00a0under references\u00a0like all other works.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Cite\u00a0Interviews in APA\u00a0Style Format<\/h2>\n

The APA style guide (7<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0edition) outlines the format\u00a0separately\u00a0for published and unpublished (or personal) interviews.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Citing Unpublished Interviews<\/h3>\n

In APA, unpublished interviews are\u00a0only cited in in-text citations and\u00a0not\u00a0included in the reference list as they are not discoverable by readers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
In-text citation\u00a0format<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n(Interviewee\u00a0initials.\u00a0Surname, personal communication, month day year)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Example<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n(J.D.\u00a0Dover, personal communication, January 21, 2026)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Citing Published Interviews<\/h3>\n

Interviews\u00a0published\u00a0in books, magazines,\u00a0and social media platforms\u00a0are\u00a0publicly available and should be cited in the main manuscript as well as included in the reference list.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Reference\u00a0format<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nSurname, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Title or description of the interview [mode of interview]. Website\/Platform Name. URL<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Example<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nFederer, R. (2024,\u00a0September\u00a019).\u00a0<\/span>Doctor Roger Federer\u00a0will see you now<\/span>\u00a0[Podcast video]. YouTube.\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0foth8r3Zbg\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
In-text citation format<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n(Surname,\u00a0year)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Example\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n(Federer, 2024)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

APA\u00a0Summary: Key Points to Note<\/h3>\n