APA Interview Citation: Your Comprehensive Guide (7th Edition)

The Essential Guide to APA Interview Citations and Credibility

The complexity of citing an interview in APA Style (7th edition) is often a source of frustration, but mastering it is essential for producing high-quality, trustworthy academic content. The core principle revolves around retrievability—can your reader independently find the source you’ve cited? Your approach to citation hinges on the answer to this single question.

The Direct Answer: The Two Types of Interviews in APA Style

When citing any interview, the first step is to categorize it into one of two groups: Personal Communication (non-recoverable) or Published (recoverable).

The most common and confusing category is Personal Communication, which refers to your own, unrecorded, or unpublished conversations. This includes interviews you conducted specifically for your paper, phone calls, or emails. Because the reader cannot retrieve this original data, it is cited in-text only and is not included in your Reference List.

Conversely, a Published Interview is one that is recorded, transcribed, and available to the general public—such as a TV appearance, a podcast episode, or a newspaper article. These sources are considered recoverable and must be cited both in-text and in your Reference List, following the specific format for the medium (e.g., a reference for a podcast episode is different from a reference for a newspaper article).

Why Proper Citation Builds Your Authority and Trust

Properly citing interviews is not merely a formality; it is a critical component of establishing your credibility and expertise as an author. When you meticulously source the information used in your paper, especially direct quotes, you demonstrate rigor and a commitment to academic honesty. This adherence to detailed referencing shows that your work is well-researched and grounded in verifiable data. For example, consistently citing interviews with experts from respected institutions validates your claims and significantly increases the reliability of your entire paper in the eyes of readers and peer reviewers. It is a non-negotiable step in producing authoritative scholarly work.

Mastering the ‘Personal Communication’ Format (Unpublished Interviews)

When learning how do you cite an interview in APA, the most common scenario for researchers and students is the use of an interview they conducted themselves that is not recorded or published for public access. APA 7th Edition categorizes this as “Personal Communication.” This format is distinct because the material is considered non-recoverable by the reader, meaning it is treated differently than a source published in a journal or newspaper.

The Exact In-Text Citation Structure for a Personal Interview

A personal interview is cited in-text only and must provide the reader with all necessary information to verify the source’s identity and the communication event. The citation format is concise but precise, designed to integrate smoothly into your narrative while upholding academic standards for source transparency.

The required structure includes the interviewee’s initials and last name, the exact phrase “personal communication,” and the full date of the communication. For example, if you interviewed Dr. Alan B. Johnson on May 15, 2024, the citation would look like this: (A. B. Johnson, personal communication, May 15, 2024). To build your paper’s authority and trustworthiness, it is best practice to follow this citation immediately after a quote or paraphrase. Furthermore, it is essential for ethical standing and credibility to state within the text of your paper that the interviewee has given explicit consent to be named. For example, you might write: “As Dr. Johnson confirmed in an interview conducted with his consent (A. B. Johnson, personal communication, May 15, 2024), the project timeline was extended.”

Why Personal Interviews Are Omitted from the Reference List

The rule governing the inclusion of any source in the APA Reference List is retrievability. If a source cannot be accessed and verified by the reader—which is the case for a one-on-one, unpublished, or unrecorded conversation—it is excluded from the Reference List. This principle ensures that every item on your list directs the reader to content they can independently review. Omitting personal communications is not a sign of hiding a source, but rather a proper application of the citation rules that ensures the integrity and functionality of your Reference List.

When working with research participants, or if the interviewee has requested their identity remain confidential, you must not cite the source as personal communication with their name. In these cases, to maintain anonymity while still providing academic evidence, refer to the individual using their role, a general description, or a pseudonym within the narrative. For example, use a phrase like: “A senior project manager indicated that…” or “Participant 7, who consented to a pseudonym, described the process as…” This practice respects the subject’s privacy while still allowing you to present and build upon the valuable data collected during the interview.

Citing Published Interviews: When the Interviewer is the Author

When dealing with interviews that have been formally published—such as those appearing in a newspaper, magazine, journal, or on a major news website—the rules shift dramatically from personal communication. In these instances, the interview becomes a retrievable source, meaning a reader can independently find and verify the information, which is a cornerstone of responsible, high-quality content.

The APA Rule: Identifying the Author in a Published Interview

A common point of confusion is determining who should be credited as the author in the reference entry. In the vast majority of published interviews, the Interviewer is designated as the primary author for the APA reference. This is because the interviewer is the individual who framed the questions, structured the dialogue, and ultimately controlled the final editorial content and publication of the article. They are the authors of the published piece, even if the bulk of the cited content comes from the interviewee’s responses.

For example, if a New York Times reporter, Miller, publishes an article detailing an interview with Dr. Jane Smith, Miller is the author you reference. When quoting or paraphrasing the interview, the interviewee’s name (Dr. Jane Smith) is mentioned within the narrative of your sentence, while the in-text citation points to the author (Miller) and the year. You would write: “Dr. Jane Smith argued that the data was conclusive (Miller, 2023).”

Reference List Template: Newspaper and Magazine Interviews

To establish the reliability and authority of your work, you must ensure your content is fully supported by credible, verifiable sources. We recommend prioritizing interviews published in specific, high-authority academic journals or major news outlets like The Economist or The Wall Street Journal. Citing these sources with precision links your content directly to established academic and journalistic rigor.

The structure for a published interview reference entry will depend on the source type (e.g., newspaper, magazine, podcast), but they all share key components.

For a Magazine Interview, the recommended reference list format is:

Author, I. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, Volume(Issue), page range/URL.

If the interview appeared in a major newspaper, the format is similar but often lacks volume or issue numbers. Always include the most specific date available (Year, Month Day) and the direct URL if accessed online.

The In-Text Citation Format for Published Print or Online Text

The method for creating an in-text citation for a published interview is straightforward and follows the standard APA Author-Date format, as you’ve already identified the interviewer as the author.

The parenthetical citation includes the author’s last name and the year of publication:

Parenthetical Citation: (Miller, 2023)
Narrative Citation: Miller (2023) found that Dr. Smith stated…

If you are using a direct quote, especially from an online source that lacks page numbers, remember to provide the paragraph number where the quote can be found. This level of detail is critical for maximizing your content’s scannability and eligibility for extraction into features like AI Overviews and Featured Snippets, as it allows for immediate location of the source material. For example, if the quote is in the fifth paragraph: (Miller, 2023, para. 5).

How to Cite Recorded Interviews: Podcasts, YouTube, and TV

Citing interviews from digital and broadcast media requires careful attention to the medium and who is responsible for the content’s production, a critical aspect of establishing responsible research practices in your academic work. These sources, unlike personal communication, are recoverable by your reader and thus require full Reference List entries.

Podcast Interview Citation: Host vs. Interviewee as Author

For the majority of podcast interviews, the Host is designated as the author for the APA reference entry. The host is the individual responsible for the creation and structure of the specific episode being cited, even if they are not the primary subject of the discussion.

The structure for a podcast episode reference follows this general format, ensuring readers can easily trace the source and confirm the reliability of the information:

Host, A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Title of episode (No. ###) [Audio podcast episode]. In Podcast Name. Production Company. URL.

For example, if citing a specific episode, you would include the names of the host(s), the specific date of the episode’s release, the episode title and number, and the name of the overall podcast series, followed by the production company and the specific URL where the episode can be found.

Citing an Interview Published on YouTube or a Streaming Service

Video interviews, whether from YouTube, a streaming service like Netflix, or another video-hosting platform, are treated as videos in APA style. A key element for maximizing the chances of your paper being selected for an AI Overview or a Featured Snippet is the use of timestamps for direct quotes. When citing a direct quote from an unpaginated video interview, your in-text citation must include a timestamp showing where the quote begins.

For example, if you quote Dr. Smith from a video published in 2024, the in-text citation should look like this: (Smith, 2024, 14:32). The 14:32 indicates the exact minute and second where the quoted material can be found.

The Reference List entry for a video interview must include the medium descriptor [Video] or [Audio file] in brackets after the title to clearly communicate the source type.

Example Reference Entry:

Lastname, I. (Year, Month Day). Title of video interview [Video]. Platform/Website Name. URL

Writers should always verify the official publisher of the content, which could be the production company, the university’s official channel, or the original network. Citing the official source—and avoiding secondary uploads or re-posts—significantly improves the perception of expertise and credibility in your research.

Key Elements for a Broadcast (TV or Radio) Interview Reference

Interviews retrieved from traditional television or radio broadcasts follow a similar protocol to videos, but with specific details for the medium.

The structure requires the person or group primarily responsible for the broadcast (e.g., the network, a news anchor, or a show producer) to be listed as the author if an individual author cannot be identified.

A crucial component is the inclusion of the medium descriptor, such as [TV series episode] or [Radio broadcast], following the episode title. You must also include the city and state of the broadcast station and the name of the network.

For instance, a nightly news interview would require the network, the date, the title of the specific segment (if available), the name of the overall program (italicized), the medium descriptor, and the official network website or archive link. This level of detail is essential for providing readers with a fully traceable path back to your source material.

Advanced APA Nuances: Direct Quotes and Research Participants

Integrating Direct Quotes from an Interview Source

When you are quoting an interview directly, the requirement for a page or paragraph number changes depending on the source type. For a published interview (e.g., from a book, article, or video) that a reader can retrieve, you must provide a locator, such as a page number or, for video/audio, a timestamp (e.g., 14:32). However, for a personal interview—one you conducted yourself that is not recoverable by the reader—you do not need to include a locator. The in-text citation for a direct quote from a personal interview remains simple and clean: (Initial. Last Name, personal communication, Date). For instance, a quote from Professor D. K. Miller on January 20, 2025, would be cited as (D. K. Miller, personal communication, January 20, 2025), with the quote integrated seamlessly into your narrative. The full context of the interview is established through the preceding prose, which builds on your established authority regarding the subject matter.

Special Rules for Citing Interviews with Research Participants (Qualitative Data)

Interviews conducted as part of your original research—often found in qualitative studies—are handled with special ethical consideration. These interviews are your primary data, and the focus shifts from citation mechanics to responsible research and participant confidentiality. You should not cite these interviews using the standard “personal communication” format because they represent data points, not external sources.

Instead, you must adhere to ethical guidelines by using pseudonyms for the participants throughout your text or by referring to them by their functional role (e.g., “The lead engineer,” “Participant 3”). The core content is then supported by referring readers to an Appendix that contains the full research instrument (such as the interview protocol) and potentially de-identified sample transcripts. For example, your text might read, “As the store manager, ‘Sarah,’ confirmed, the policy changes improved efficiency (see Appendix A for full transcript).” The ultimate goal is to present the data transparently while rigorously upholding the privacy commitments you made to your participants, which reinforces the trustworthiness of your findings. For academic submissions, it is a best practice to document that a formal Informed Consent template was used, signed, and stored for all personal interviews to uphold Responsible Research principles, thereby establishing a high level of expertise in ethical conduct.

Avoiding the Most Common APA Interview Citation Errors

A common pitfall for writers using APA style is misunderstanding the distinction between retrievable and non-retrievable sources. The number one mistake made is listing a personal interview in the Reference List. To correct this, always remember a fundamental rule of APA: If the reader can’t retrieve it, it doesn’t go on the list.

Non-Retrievable Sources (e.g., your personal interview, an unrecorded phone conversation, a private email) are cited in-text only as personal communication and are omitted from the Reference List.
Retrievable Sources (e.g., a published transcript in a book, a podcast, a YouTube video) are cited in-text and must have a full, corresponding entry in the Reference List.

Mastering this single distinction demonstrates a clear mastery of the APA style, ensuring your content is accurately attributed and your academic output is viewed as reliable. By consistently applying this logic, you minimize errors and reinforce the authoritative quality of your work.

Your Top Questions About APA Interview Citation Answered

Q1. Does a Personal Interview need an entry in the APA Reference List?

No, a personal interview is not included in the APA Reference List. The fundamental rule for all APA citations is that a source must be recoverable by the reader. Since a personal interview—one you conducted yourself that is unpublished—is not a source that a reader can retrieve, it is treated as personal communication. For this reason, it is cited only in the text of your paper using the following format: (Initial. Last Name, personal communication, Date). This simple in-text citation provides the necessary source information without cluttering the Reference List with unrecoverable sources.

Q2. How do I cite an email or phone call instead of a formal interview?

Emails, private letters, phone calls, text messages, and other forms of one-off, non-recoverable communication are cited identically to a personal interview. APA Style regards all these communications as personal, non-recoverable exchanges. Therefore, you should use the “personal communication” in-text format for these sources as well. This ensures consistency and clarity across all non-published data or expert commentary you gather. For example, if you quote an email from Dr. Alan B. Turing, the citation would be: (A. B. Turing, personal communication, January 1, 2024).

Q3. How do I cite an interview that I found republished on a different website?

When dealing with a published interview that appears on multiple platforms (e.g., a print article posted on a university blog or a podcast transcribed on a fan site), the rule is to always cite the original source of publication if it is retrievable. For instance, if you find a transcript of an NPR interview on a secondary blog, you should seek out and cite the original NPR podcast episode or article. This practice maintains content reliability by linking your reader to the official, verified version of the source material. You should only resort to citing the republished website if the original source is impossible to trace or is permanently offline, making the republished site the only existing, recoverable version.

Final Takeaways: Mastering Interview Citation for Academic Excellence

Summary of 3 Key Actionable Steps for Citation Accuracy

The single most important takeaway that will ensure you maintain accuracy and uphold the principles of Responsible Research is this: The core difference in APA interview citation lies in retrievability—if the reader can find the original source (a published article, podcast, or video), it requires a full reference entry; if not (e.g., a personal conversation you conducted), it is categorized as ‘personal communication’ and cited in-text only.

To summarize the most crucial steps:

Determine Recoverability: If the source is published and accessible by your reader, create a full Reference List entry. If it is an unrecorded, private conversation, use the Personal Communication format.
Use Timestamps for Quotes: For direct quotes from unpaginated, recoverable video or audio interviews (like YouTube or podcasts), always include a timestamp in your in-text citation (e.g., Smith, 2024, 14:32) for precise referencing.
Prioritize the Original Publisher: For published interviews, ensure your reference entry cites the original, high-authority publisher (e.g., the specific magazine, journal, or production company) to maximize your content’s reliability.

What to Do Next: Utilizing Expert Tools

As digital media continues to evolve, citation rules for new formats (like social media videos or emerging platforms) are continuously refined. We recommend that you make it a standard practice to review the official APA Style Blog for the most current updates and clarifications. Leveraging these official expert resources ensures your work adheres to the highest standards of academic integrity and supports the robust credibility of your research.