Make a list of all information obtained from personal sources and experts. This ensures that you remember to cite each source within the text. E-mail communications, personal interviews and opinions of experts must all be cited. Do not cite them in your reference list.
Cite sources using in text parenthetical citations. The citations should include the references first initial and last name, the phrase "personal communication," and the date of the communication. For example, an interview with a psychologist named Mary Robins on March 4, 2011 would be cited as follows: (M. Robins, personal communication, March 4, 2011).
Add credibility to your writing by referencing the sources in the text. Explaining the source's credentials can add authority that parenthetical citations alone do not add. For example, if psychologist Mary Robins is an expert in child development and studies the effects of divorce on children, try saying something like this, "Developmental psychologist Mary Robins has studied the effects of divorce on children for 20 years. Based upon her research, she argues that..."