How to Cite a Personal Interview in MLA Form

Including a personal interview in your MLA style paper can lend credibility to your research.

The Modern Language Association (MLA) provides specific guidelines for students to follow when writing and formatting research papers. In some instances, the student may speak directly with an expert on their research topic and use excerpts from their interview in the paper. In this case, the student should follow the MLA's format for citing personal interviews.

Instructions

Works Cited

1. Type the name of the person you interviewed. Place their last name first, followed by a comma, then their first name and a period. For example: "Miller, Bob."

2. Type the words "Personal Interview."

3. Type the date the interview was conducted. Place the date first, followed by the month, the year and then a period. For example, "21 Jan. 2009." Abbreviate the month in accordance with MLA style.

4. Review your completed citation for accuracy. Using the examples from the steps above, a complete citation would appear as: Miller, Bob. Personal Interview. 21 Jan. 2009.

References

• Purdue University: Purdue Online Writing Lab: Research and Citation: MLA Style: MLA Formatting and Style Guide: MLA Works Cited: Other Common Sources
• Northwest Missouri State University: Library: Citing Sources: MLA:
• Northern Michigan University: Olson Library: Guides: MLA Style Guide

Resources

• Modern Language Association