Interviews can be such a goldmine for research, can't they? Whether you've spoken to an expert directly, stumbled upon a fascinating published conversation, or even found a gem on YouTube, knowing how to properly credit these sources is key. And when you're working with APA 7th edition, it's all about clarity and making sure your reader can find what you found.
Let's break it down, starting with the trickiest kind: the personal interview.
Personal Interviews: The 'Not-So-Findable' Kind
Here's a little quirk of APA: if your reader can't actually find the interview you conducted – think in-person chats, phone calls, emails, text messages, or even online chats – it doesn't go into your reference list. Why? Because the whole point of a reference list is to provide a trail for your reader to follow. If it's a private conversation, it's considered 'personal communication.'
So, how do you acknowledge it? You simply weave it into your text with a parenthetical citation. It looks something like this: (J. Smith, personal communication, May 17, 2008). Easy enough, right?
Now, if you do want to include the details of a personal interview in your reference list (perhaps it was a recorded session you have access to, or you want to be extra thorough), you can list it. The structure is: Last name, F. (Year, Month date). Personal communication [Communication type]. For example: Cloyd, A. (2014, July 29). Personal communication [Personal interview].
Published Interviews: Easier to Track!
This is where things get more straightforward. If the interview has been published, you cite it like any other published source. The specific format will depend on where it was published.
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Online Articles: If it's an interview published as an article online, you'll cite it as you would any web article. You'll need the author of the article (who conducted the interview), the date, the title of the article, the publication name (like The Guardian), and the URL. For example: MacInnes, P. (2021, August 24). Ellie Simmonds: ‘I’ve found the expectations harder as I’ve got older.’ The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/24/ellie-simmonds-expectations-tokyo-paralympics-interview When you quote from it, remember to include the page number or paragraph number. For instance: “You forget they have a disability and it’s not until you take a step back and you talk to them… that you realize the stories they have,” said Ellie Simmonds about the Paralympics (MacInnes, 2021, para. 1).
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YouTube Videos: Found a great interview on YouTube? You'll cite it as a video. You'll need the uploader's name (or channel name), the date, the title of the video, and the URL. If the uploader is a specific person, you'll use their name. If it's a channel, you'll use the channel name. For example: 60 Minutes Australia. (2018, June 23). Meet the tallest man in the world [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjG6qIfoMeI Or, if it's from a specific host: O’Brien, C. [Team Coco]. (2021, June 11). Tig Notaro full interview – CONAN on TBS [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imMsszmCdr4 When quoting, you'll use a timestamp instead of a page number, like (60 Minutes Australia, 2018, 0:57).
Interviews with Research Participants
This is a special case. If you're conducting your own research and interviewing participants, those quotes are considered your original data. They don't go in the reference list, and they aren't treated as personal communication in the same way. Instead, you'll simply indicate in your text that the quote comes from a participant. For example: Participant “Steven” described his experience at the company as “difficult but rewarding.”
Archived Radio Interviews
Sometimes, you might find an interview housed in a digital or physical archive. In these cases, you credit the interviewee as the author. You'll need their name, the date, the title of the interview, the archive name, and the URL if available. Like this: Krashen, S. (1983, May 4). The basics of writing [Interview]. USC Archive; University of Southern California. https://libraries.usc.edu/locations/special-collections-department/university-archives And in-text, you'd cite it as: In her interview, Stephen Krashen explained, “The important step in the art of writing is knowing what you are writing about” (Krashen, 1983, 1:17).
It might seem like a lot at first, but once you get the hang of it, citing interviews in APA 7th edition becomes second nature. It's all about giving credit where it's due and helping your readers explore the same rich information you did.
