Do I put a personal interview in my APA references list?

No — APA treats interviews you conducted as personal communications, cited in text only. They can't be retrieved by a reader, so they don't get a reference entry.

Does MLA list personal interviews in Works Cited?

Yes — MLA does include them: Interviewee. Personal interview. Date. This is the opposite of APA's rule.

How do I cite a published interview from a magazine?

As a magazine article — the interview format isn't special once it's published. The interviewee is typically the focus and the interviewer is a contributor.

What about an email interview?

Treat it like a conducted interview: personal communication (in-text only) in APA, a Works Cited entry in MLA.

How to Cite an Interview

Updated October 2026

How you cite an interview depends entirely on whether it was published. A published interview (in a magazine, podcast, or broadcast) gets a normal citation. A personal interview you conducted yourself follows a special rule — especially in APA, where it never appears in the reference list at all.

Personal interviews: the rule that surprises people

In APA 7, an interview you personally conducted is a personal communication — it's cited only in the text, never in the references list, because readers can't retrieve it: (J. Smith, personal communication, March 18, 2026). In MLA, by contrast, personal interviews do get a Works Cited entry: Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 18 Mar. 2026. This APA/MLA split is the single most common interview-citation mistake.

Published interviews

APA: cite the source it appeared in (article, podcast, video) — the interview format isn't special. MLA: Interviewee Last, First. “Title or 'Interview.'” Interviewer, Container, Date, location.

A published interview is cited as whatever published it — a magazine interview is a magazine article, a radio interview is an audio work, a televised one is a broadcast. The interviewee is usually the focus; name the interviewer as a contributor.

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Citation style

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (2020). The 7th dropped the publisher location and the "Retrieved from" prefix that the 6th required.

Quick decision guide

You conducted it → APA: in-text personal communication only. MLA: Works Cited entry as a personal interview.
Published in print/online → cite as an article (see newspaper or website).
A podcast or broadcast interview → cite as a podcast or video episode.
Email or DM exchange → personal communication, same as a conducted interview.

In-text citations

APA personal: (J. Smith, personal communication, March 18, 2026) — note initials before surname. MLA: (Smith). Published interviews follow the in-text rules of whatever form published them.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I put a personal interview in my APA references list?: No — APA treats interviews you conducted as personal communications, cited in text only. They can't be retrieved by a reader, so they don't get a reference entry.
Does MLA list personal interviews in Works Cited?: Yes — MLA does include them: Interviewee. Personal interview. Date. This is the opposite of APA's rule.
How do I cite a published interview from a magazine?: As a magazine article — the interview format isn't special once it's published. The interviewee is typically the focus and the interviewer is a contributor.
What about an email interview?: Treat it like a conducted interview: personal communication (in-text only) in APA, a Works Cited entry in MLA.

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