The category "Personal Communications" is used in situations where you are taking information from a source such as an email thread or an interview you conducted with someone else. In this case the work isn't published anywhere, someone else couldn't find and read the full interview or email on their own.
Sometimes you may find interviews with people in journals, magazines, newspapers, websites, etc. In those cases don't use the "Personal Communications" category. Instead, cite them according to where you found the information.
For example, an interview in a magazine would be cited like a magazine article. That way anyone reading your assignment could easily track down the interview for themselves by finding the same magazine article.
Last Name of person interviewed, First Name. Description of interview. Day Month Year of communication.
For in-text citations, use (Last Name of Person Interviewed)
| Works Cited List Example |
Paglen, Trevor. Zoom interview with the artist. 11 Feb. 2021. Note: Other common descriptors are "Telephone interview" or "Personal interview." |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(Paglen) Note: If the name of the person who sent the message (or was interviewed) is mentioned in the sentence leading into the quote or paraphrased content, you do not need to repeat it in the in-text citation. |
Last Name of the Author of the Message, First Name. E-mail to the Name of the Recipient. Day Month Year of Email.
For in-text citations, use (Last Name of Person Who Sent the Message)
| Works Cited List Example |
White, Tony. Email to the author. 26 Sept. 2024. Note: For email interviews, it is not required to state "Email interview." |
| In-Text Citation Example |
(White) Note: If the name of the person who sent the message (or was interviewed) is mentioned in the sentence leading into the quote or paraphrased content, you do not need to repeat it in the in-text citation. |
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