How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite an interview
Citing an interview depends on whether you conducted it yourself (a personal interview) or it was published or broadcast for an audience.
The step most authors miss
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Decide personal or published
Determine whether you conducted the interview yourself (personal/unpublished) or it was published or broadcast in a magazine, programme, podcast or website.
2.For a personal interview, note the basics
Record the interviewee’s name, the format (in person, telephone, email) and the exact date the interview took place.
3.For a published interview, find the host source
Identify the publication, programme or platform carrying the interview, the interviewer, the title and the date.
4.Note who said what
Decide whether the interviewee or the interviewer leads the entry; the person being interviewed usually takes the author position when their words are the focus.
5.Assemble the entry by type
Apply the personal-communication rule (APA) or full-entry rule (MLA, Chicago) for a personal interview, or the article/video/podcast template for a published one.
APA 7th edition
Personal interview: cite in text only as personal communication, with no reference-list entry — (J. Smith, personal communication, March 14, 2021). Published interview: cite by the form it took. A magazine interview is cited as a magazine article; a recorded interview as audio or video. Worked example (published, by interviewer): Brown, T. (2021, March 14). An interview with Jane Smith. Example Magazine, 22–25.
MLA 9th edition
Personal interview format: Interviewee. Personal interview. Day Month Year. — Worked example: Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 14 Mar. 2021. Published interview: "Title of Interview." Interview by Name. Container, Day Month Year, URL — Worked example: Smith, Jane. "On Citation." Interview by Tom Brown. Example Magazine, 14 Mar. 2021, pp. 22–25. In-text: (Smith).
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Unpublished interview note: 1. Jane Smith, interview by the author, London, March 14, 2021. Unpublished interviews are usually cited only in a note, not the bibliography. Published interview bibliography: Smith, Jane. "On Citation." Interview by Tom Brown. Example Magazine, March 14, 2021. — First footnote: 1. Jane Smith, "On Citation," interview by Tom Brown, Example Magazine, March 14, 2021.
Common questions
FAQ
How do I cite an interview I conducted myself?+
In APA, cite it in the text only as personal communication — (J. Smith, personal communication, March 14, 2021) — with no entry in the reference list, because readers cannot retrieve it. MLA and Chicago do give it an entry: MLA uses "Personal interview" with the date; Chicago usually cites it in a note alone.
How do I cite a published or broadcast interview?+
Cite it like the source that carries it. A printed interview is cited as a magazine or newspaper article; a televised or online one as a video; an audio interview as a podcast or recording. Name the interviewee, the interviewer, the container and the date in your style.
Who goes first, the interviewee or interviewer?+
Usually the interviewee, when their words and views are the focus of your discussion, takes the author position. If you are highlighting the interviewer’s work, you may lead with them. Add an "Interview by [name]" element so both contributors are clear.
Going deeper
