APA citation for a personal interview is an essential aspect of academic writing, especially when you conduct primary research. It allows readers to locate the source of the information and gives proper credit to the interviewee. In this article, we will discuss the proper format for APA citation for a personal interview and provide examples to help you understand how to cite it correctly.
Personal interviews are a valuable source of information in research, as they provide insights and perspectives that cannot be found in published works. However, citing a personal interview can be challenging, as it is not a published source. To address this, APA provides specific guidelines for citing personal interviews in your research.
According to the APA Publication Manual (7th ed.), when citing a personal interview, you should include the following elements:
1. Author’s name: Begin with the last name followed by the first initial of the interviewee’s first name.
2. Interview date: Include the date of the interview in parentheses.
3. Interviewer’s name: If you are the interviewer, include your name after the interview date.
4. “Personal interview.”
Here is an example of how to cite a personal interview in APA format:
Smith, J. (2021, March 15). Personal interview.
If you are using the interviewee’s name in the text, you can simply mention their name and provide the date in parentheses:
According to Smith (2021, March 15), personal interviews can be a rich source of information for researchers.
In cases where the interviewee’s name is not known, you can use a pseudonym or refer to them as “Interviewee” in the text. Here’s an example:
According to Interviewee (2021, March 15), personal interviews are an excellent way to gain in-depth insights into a subject.
Remember that personal interviews should be cited in the text of your paper whenever you refer to the information obtained from the interview. This helps to establish the credibility of your research and provides readers with a clear understanding of the sources of your information.
In conclusion, APA citation for a personal interview is an important aspect of academic writing. By following the guidelines provided by the APA Publication Manual, you can ensure that your personal interviews are properly cited and give credit to the interviewees for their valuable insights.
