The Ultimate Guide to Citing Interviews in APA, MLA, and Chicago Formats

Why Are Interview Citations Important?

When writing a college assignment or presenting first-hand information, it's crucial to use primary sources that offer unaltered, original content. Interviews are among the most valuable primary sources, providing expert insights and detailed analysis. However, correctly citing interviews is essential to avoid plagiarism and to give proper credit for intellectual property. Whether you're using APA, MLA, or Chicago style, each format has its own rules for citing interviews. Learning these citation standards ensures your work is both credible and ethically sound. This guide will help you understand how to cite interviews accurately according to the latest standards in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles.

The Basic APA Interview Citation Rules

When citing an interview in APA format, it's important to consider the type of interview you're referencing. There are three main scenarios:

1. Published Interviews: Only published interviews, such as those found in television programs, newspapers, press releases, or scientific journals, require a formal citation in your reference list. These are treated similarly to multimedia sources.

2. Personal Interviews: If you conducted the interview yourself, it is considered personal communication. This type of interview does not need to be included in the reference list, but should be cited in-text.

3. Group Interviews: For group interviews or interviews conducted as part of a research methodology, it’s not necessary to include a formal citation in the bibliography unless the interview has been published.

Citing interviews correctly in APA ensures your work is properly credited and aligns with academic standards. If you're uncertain, seeking assignment help can ensure accuracy in your citations.

APA Interview Citation Examples

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If there is no online source and it is not an interview you conducted:

If there is an online source:

When you cite a personal interview:

When quoting an interview, always consider what kind of source you are dealing with. In some cases, such as in the example above, an in-text citation is only necessary.

When you cite a speech in APA format:

How to cite an interview in MLA style

Incorporating interview citations in your college assignments or research papers enhances your credibility, as interviews serve as primary sources that offer valuable insights and support for your arguments. Learning how to cite an interview in MLA style is relatively straightforward, especially when you follow the basic rules.

• Interviewee's Name: Always start with the name of the person being interviewed, both in your in-text citation and on the Works Cited page.
• Title of the Interview: If available, place the interview title in quotation marks. If there’s no title, simply use the word "interview" without quotation marks.
• Personal Conducted Interviews: If you conducted the interview, include your name and the date it was conducted.
• Published Interviews: For published interviews, include the author's name and relevant details depending on the source type.

Although citing an interview in MLA can be challenging, particularly for beginners, seeking professional assistance can ensure your references are accurate and correctly formatted.

See the examples on how to cite an interview MLA in practice:

Image credit: Libguides

How to Cite a Personal Interview in MLA (Unpublished)

When citing an interview that you conducted yourself, start by naming the person you interviewed, followed by the word "interview." After that, include your own name and the date the interview took place. This format clearly indicates your role in the interview and provides the necessary details for referencing. Here’s how it would look in practice:

Speaking of the in-text citations, it is sufficient to specify the last name of the person who has been interviewed, as this is what you shall cite. For an example of the MLA in-text citation interview:

Cite a Published Interview in MLA

When citing an interview from a published source like a newspaper, book, or video on YouTube, treat the interviewee as the author for MLA citation purposes. Begin with the interviewee's name, followed by the title of the interview in quotation marks (if available). Include all relevant details for the source type, just as you would when citing books, articles, or other media.

For parenthetical citations, include the interviewee’s last name along with a page number or timestamp (if available). This approach ensures your citations are thorough and correctly formatted. Citing an interview in MLA format can be challenging, but with assignment help, you can ensure your citations are accurate and correctly formatted.

Interview in an online magazine

Interview in a book

In case the author or editor of the book is the same person as the one being interviewed, leave this part out. Include the book title, the author(s), the publisher, the year of the publication, and the page(s) range.

Read also: How to Cite a Short Story in MLA Format

Interview in a journal

This type of citing will require the name of the journal along with the volume and number. Place the date or year of publication next to the range of pages. If it's something obtainable online for your MLA interview citation, include the URL or DOI along with the name of the database.

Online video of an interview

When you are citing an interview that has been found online on YouTube or you wish to cite a TED talk found elsewhere as a video, you must mention the platform or the website where the interview can be seen, the name of the user who has uploaded the interview, the date when it was uploaded, and the URL. Regarding how to cite an interview MLA in text, use the timestamp to specify what part of the file you are citing.

Interview via email correspondence

Interview in-text Citation Rules

The general MLA format for an interview is to include the last name of the person that is being interviewed with the page or range of pages. For an example of the interviews citing in MLA:

How to cite an interview in Chicago style

The details required for citing an interview can vary depending on whether the interview is published and the source where it appeared. Generally, you'll need to include:

• Name of the interviewee;
• Heading;
• Name of the interviewer;
• Information about the channel, TV show, or publication;
• Date when the interview was done;
• Page numbers (if applicable);
• URL or DOI (if applicable).

The format may have variations, so it’s essential to consult the guidelines provided by your tutor for precise instructions.

Citing an unpublished interview

When citing unpublished interviews, such as those you conducted or accessed through archives, they should be referenced only in notes, not in the bibliography. The format and requirements can vary, so always consult your instructor's guidelines for specific instructions.

• How to cite interviews conducted by yourself

Footnote references to your interviews should indicate the interviewee’s name, specify that you were the interviewer, and provide the location (if conducted in person) and date.

Example:

In cases where you have agreed to maintain the interviewee’s anonymity for whatever reason, write a proper description instead of their name.

Example:

Subsequent footnotes referring to the same interview should be abbreviated.

Examples:

• How to cite interviews sourced from an archive

Suppose the interview is taken from an archive, in this case, you should indicate the interviewer's name and information about accessing the source.

Example:

How to cite personal communication

When referencing information obtained directly from an individual without a formal interview, you can quote it as personal communication within the text or in the notes, and it’s not required to include a bibliography.

Example:

Personal communications should only be quoted if they provide unique insights or information that cannot be received from other publicly available sources.

Citing a published interview

The formatting for citing an interview in Chicago style depends on the source type where the interview was found. For published interviews, the note and bibliography entry should begin with the interviewee’s name. The interviewer’s name is included after the title unless it is already mentioned in the title. Even if omitted in the note, the interviewer’s name should always be included in the bibliography entry. Below are examples of how to cite interviews from journals, videos, and magazines in Chicago style.

• Journal interview

• Video interview

• Magazine interview

How to cite an anonymous interview according to Chicago format guidelines

When citing anonymous sources in interviews, it’s acceptable to use labels like "personal communication" or "anonymous informant" without naming the source. However, when citing a speech or interview in Chicago style, it’s important to clarify within the text why the source’s identity is being withheld. This explanation ensures transparency and maintains the integrity of your citation. Citing anonymous interviews in Chicago can be tricky, but seeking assignment writing help can ensure that your citations are both accurate and properly formatted.

FAQ

How to place an interview in a paper MLA?

Depending on the type of interview, provide the last name of the person interviewed, the title of the interview, and all relevant information for the source. In-text citation of an interview in MLA will require the last name of the person interviewed and the page number (if relevant).

How to cite someone you have interviewed MLA style?

Learning how to cite a personal interview MLA style, you must include the last name and the first name of the person you have interviewed followed by the "Conducted by" phrase where your name follows. Then include the date when the interview has been taken.