APA's two part citation system is used for sources that have some sort of permanence, like a book or a journal article. The in-text citations directs the reader to a detailed reference list at the end of the document where a reader can find the complete information on how to find the complete original source.
Sometimes research involves interviewing experts who work in a specific field or who have specialized types of information. This is considered "non-recoverable data" because the original source cannot necessarily be found in a permanent form such as in a library or database.
A personal communication is cited only within the body of the paper. The source person's first initial(s) and last name should be provided, then the words "personal communication" and then the specific date the communication took place.
As with a regular in-text citation, you can include your source's name outside or inside the parentheses. Here are two examples of what your citation might look like if you cited an email from someone named John M. Smith.
An example of citing a source's name outside the parentheses looks like this: "says J. M. Smith (personal communication, March 24, 2010)."
An example of citing a source's name inside the parentheses looks like this: (J. M. Smith, personal communication, March 24, 2010).
Note that the type of personal communication does not matter. You do not need to specify the type or form of communication.