How to Show the Reference Page for Memorandums in APA Format
The American Psychological Association, or APA, style guide helps writers in the social sciences avoid plagiarism by citing their sources. You may gather information for your research from sources such as books, journals, websites, personal interviews and even office memorandums. Most sources of information are cited in both the reference page and in text. However, personal communications such as interviews, telephone conversations and memorandums are cited only in the text and are not placed on the reference page.
Instructions
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Insert an in-text citation immediately after the information you quoted or paraphrased.
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Format the citation by placing the initial (first and middle names, if applicable) and last name of the originator of the memo, the words "personal communication" and the date of the memo in parentheses. Example:
"Here is a quote from a memorandum" (J. D. Smith, personal communication, September 24, 2010).
Note that personal communication is lowercase, the three parts are separated by commas, there is a space between the author's initials and the ending period in the sentence goes after the citation.
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Put the author's name in your text, if you'd like, and then follow with an in-text citation containing only the phrase "personal communication" and the date. Here is an example:
John Smith's memorandum to his employees revealed the company's plans to expand (personal communication, October 6, 2009).
Note that the date is styled month (spelled out and not abbreviated), day, year.
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Tips & Warnings
Follow the precise instructions in the APA style guide and format the citation exactly as shown or it will not meet APA style requirements.
References
Resources
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