APA Question

Q: I was told to cite something as a personal communication. What is that and how do I do it?

APA Answer

A:

Sources are cited as personal communications if it is not possible for your reader to access the information on their own.  There are many examples of "personal communications" but some popular choices include emails, text messages, in-person interviews, phone conversations, in-person lectures, and non-archived discussion board posts (APA , 2019). 

Any source determined to be a personal communication, ONLY receives an in-text citation and no corresponding reference citation.  The in-text citation should include the author, specific date, and the words 'personal communication.'

 

Example. Citing information from Professor Tom Nguyen's in-person lecture: 

"...are some of the main side effects of this medication" (T. Nguyen, personal communication, February 24, 2020).

 

 

American Psychological Association. (2019). Personal communications. APA Style. 

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/personal-communications 

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