You've just had a fascinating conversation, perhaps with an expert in a field you're researching, or maybe a personal interview that offers a unique perspective. Now comes the crucial part: how do you properly credit that source in your APA-style paper? It's a question many writers grapple with, and thankfully, APA Style offers clear guidance.
When we talk about interviews, it's important to distinguish between those you conduct yourself and those that have been published. This distinction is key because APA's reference list is designed to include only sources that a reader can actually find. Think of it as a roadmap for your reader to follow your research trail.
Personal Interviews: The 'Personal Communication' Route
If you've conducted an interview yourself – whether in person, over the phone, via email, text messages, or online chats – and it remains unpublished, it falls under the umbrella of 'personal communication.' This means it won't appear in your reference list. Instead, you'll cite it directly in the text using a parenthetical citation. The format looks something like this: (J. Smith, personal communication, May 17, 2008). It’s a straightforward way to acknowledge the source without making it seem like a published work.
However, there's a slight nuance. If you do want to include details about a personal interview in your reference list (though this is less common for truly personal, unpublished interviews), you'd list the interviewee, the date, and the type of communication. For example: Cloyd, A. (2014, July 29). Personal communication [Personal interview].
Published Interviews: Treating Them Like Their Medium
Now, what if the interview you're using has been published? This is where things shift. You'll cite it just as you would any other published source, depending on its format. If it's an online article, you cite it as an article. If it's a YouTube video, you use the APA format for citing videos. If it's from a printed book, you cite it as a book.
The key here is that the reference list entry itself doesn't need to specify that it was an interview. However, within your text, when you quote or paraphrase, you absolutely must mention who was interviewed. You'll also need to provide the location of the information, whether it's a page number (p. 22), a paragraph number (para. 12), or a timestamp (1:42) for videos.
Let's look at an example from an online article. If you're quoting Ellie Simmonds from an interview in The Guardian, your in-text citation might look like this: "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). And in your reference list, it would appear as: 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
For a YouTube video, say an interview with Igor Vovkovinsky, your in-text citation might be: When asked how tall he is, Igor Vovkovinsky replied that he is "7 feet and 8.33 inches tall" (60 Minutes Australia, 2018, 0:57). The corresponding reference list entry would be: 60 Minutes Australia. (2018, June 23). Meet the tallest man in the world [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjg6qifomei
Interviews from Research Participants
Finally, a special case: quotations from research participants in your own study. These are treated differently because they are your original data. They don't go into the reference list and aren't considered personal communications in the same way. You'll typically cite them within your text, often by referring to their role or a participant number, as per your specific research methodology and institutional guidelines.
Mastering these citation nuances ensures your work is not only academically sound but also gives proper credit where it's due, allowing your readers to explore the sources that informed your insights.
