How to Cite an Oral Interview in an Essay

Oral interviews should always be properly cited in an essay. It is important that the interviewee receive credit for his time and information. Citing the interview gives the information obtained credence. Interviews can provide distinct and timely information from direct sources that may otherwise not be available to support your paper. How you will cite the interview in your paper depends on the format you are using. Common styles include: APA, commonly used for social science papers; MLA, commonly used for papers in the humanities; Chicago, commonly used for history papers; and CSE, commonly used for scientific papers.

Instructions

    • 1

      Determine which citation style you are using for your essay. Commonly used styles include APA, Chicago, CSE and MLA. The style will dictate how your citation should look. Use the same style for the entire essay.

    • 2

      Cite the interview using APA style. Interviews are cited within the text as a personal communication. No reference is made in the reference list. Use the following example for formatting the in-text citation: (J. Doe, personal communication, January 1, 2001)

    • 3

      Cite the interview using Chicago style. This citation assumes an unpublished or non-broadcast interview being cited. The interview is cited as a reference. Use the following example to create the citation:

      Interviewee's name: John Doe

      Interviewer's name: Mary Brown

      Interview format: Tape recording

      Where interview was held: New York City, NY

      Data of interview: January 1, 2001

      Doe, John. Mary Brown. Tape recording. New York City, NY., January 1, 2001.

    • 4

      Cite the interview using CSE style. This style does not include a reference in the reference list for oral interviews. Interviews are cited in-text as a personal communication within parenthesis. Use the following example as for the in-text citation: (J. Doe, personal communication, January 1, 2001)

    • 5

      Cite the interview using MLA style. This style cites the interview in the reference section. Use the following example for citing the interview: Doe, John. Personal interview. 1 January 2001.

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