interview apa format essay
That being said, there is a general structure if you want to cite a personal interview as part of your APA works cited list:
For more information on how to cite in APA, check out the APA Style Guide.
So how should writers handle the sourcing of personal interviews? If you use information or quotations that were taken from an interview with a source, you need to cite the source, how the information was collected, and when the interview was conducted.
The reference list of an APA format paper contains a list of published sources that can be located by readers. While much of your research may come from books, professional journals, newspapers, and online databases, sometimes you may find yourself needing to cite information that you gather from other sources, including interviews.
When citing sources using the APA interview format, you must always include an in-text citation in parentheses. The citation must be included directly after a quote or paraphrased text, and include the first initial of the person interviewed, last name, “personal communication” and date the interview took place.
While APA citation dictates that personal interviews should not be included in reference lists, some people still choose to do so. If a personal interview is included in a reference list, it should be formatted with the interviewee’s last name and first initial, the date of the interview in parentheses and the type of interview. Types of interviews include phone, email or personal.
Piaget believed that children begin life as egocentric creatures and eventually transition into sociocentrism. Basically, kids are first only aware of themselves but then they slowly grow to realize that they function as part of a larger group. I look at my work in the classroom as a way to help kids arrive comfortably to that greater social understanding (K. Springer, personal interview, August 10, 2017).
- Explain why you include the interview in the written assignment
- Make sure you strictly stick to standard APA guidelines throughout the entire paper
- Cite the mode of communication properly. For example, if you interviewed over the phone, then cite it as phone communication
- If you are using a non-published interview, then you shouldn’t include it on your reference page. An in-text citation is sufficient in such a case. However, it is advisable to write the full details of published interviews on the reference page
- Ensure the body paragraphs support your thesis while providing substantial information that you obtained from the interview
- Feel free to use other works within the body as long as they are within the context of the interview.
Conducting in-depth groundwork on how to write an interview paper in APA format is resourceful despite the small chances that your educator will never assign you such a task. After all, APA interview papers aren’t just for college assignments. What if your potential employer decided that the submission of an interview paper was a prerequisite for getting a job? Nevertheless, writing APA-formatted interview papers is something you can’t avoid in your studies.