Direct answer: If you need to know how to cite an interview, first determine whether it is published, an unpublished interview you conducted, or an interview with a participant in your own research. Then follow the required style. APA treats many unpublished interviews as personal communications cited in text only; MLA generally includes your own interview in Works Cited; Chicago usually documents unpublished interviews in a note.

Knowing how to cite an interview starts with identifying what kind of interview you have—not just choosing a punctuation template. A newspaper interview, a private conversation, and an interview collected as study data have different citation needs. The examples below explain the distinctions and show how to document interviews in APA, MLA, and Chicago style. Your instructor’s directions and the current style guide take priority if they differ.

1. Identify the interview type before you cite it

Start with two questions: Can your reader retrieve this interview? And is it data from your own research project? The answers determine whether you cite a published source, document a private communication, or describe research data in your methods and findings.

The distinction matters because a citation should help readers understand where information came from and, when possible, find it. APA’s guidance separates personal communications from retrievable works, and its style resources also distinguish interviews, quotations, and research participants. See the APA Style guidance on in-text citations and consult your institution’s instructions for interviews in original research.

2. How to cite an interview in APA style

In APA 7, cite a published interview according to the format in which it appeared. A newspaper interview follows the applicable newspaper-article pattern; an interview released as a podcast episode or video follows the reference format for that medium. For a published newspaper interview, the interviewer is commonly listed as the author of the article, so the in-text citation uses that name and the publication date.

Published interview in a newspaper or website

Reference-list pattern: Interviewer, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of interview. Publication Name. URL

Illustrative example: Rivera, M. (2025, April 12). “We have to listen to the neighborhood.” City Review. https://example.com/interview

In-text citation: (Rivera, 2025)

This example uses a placeholder URL and invented names solely to show the structure; it is not a real source. Make the sentence clear about whose words you are quoting if the interviewer appears in the parenthetical citation. If the interview is hosted in a podcast, book, or video, use that source type’s APA reference pattern instead of forcing it into a newspaper template. APA provides examples and explains how reference formats are selected in its official reference examples.

Unpublished personal interview

If you refer to a private interview or other communication that readers cannot retrieve, APA generally treats it as a personal communication. Cite it in the text, including the communicator’s initials and surname, the words “personal communication,” and the full date. Do not add it to the References list.

Parenthetical example: (L. Chen, personal communication, May 8, 2026)

Narrative example: L. Chen (personal communication, May 8, 2026) described the change in the department’s process.

Do not apply this personal-communication format automatically to people you interviewed as participants in your own study. APA distinguishes participant data from private communications; explain the method and report participant quotations in a way that protects confidentiality and follows your research and assignment requirements. Purdue OWL also outlines the distinction between published interviews, personal interviews, and research-participant interviews in its APA guidance on interviews and other non-print sources.

3. How to cite an interview in MLA style

MLA entries generally treat the person interviewed as the author. Build the Works Cited entry using the MLA template and include the title and container details when the interview is published within another work. The interviewer may appear as a contributor when that information helps identify the interview.

Published interview

Works Cited pattern: Interviewee Last Name, First Name. “Title of Interview.” Publication or Container, publication date, URL.

Illustrative example: Patel, Mira. “Planning a Greener Block.” Interview by Jordan Lee. City Review, 12 Apr. 2025, https://example.com/interview.

In-text citation: (Patel)

As with the other sample URLs here, the address is a placeholder, not a published interview. If the interview has no title, MLA’s official guidance says to use the generic description Interview in the title position. An interview you conducted yourself may be listed with the interviewee as author, the description, and details about who conducted it and when. For MLA’s examples and template-based advice, see the MLA Style Center guide to documenting an interview.

Illustrative entry for an interview you conducted: Patel, Mira. Interview. Conducted by Jordan Lee, 12 Apr. 2025.

MLA in-text citations normally use the name that leads the Works Cited entry. If the person’s name is already clear in the sentence, follow your instructor’s guidance about avoiding unnecessary repetition and adding a page or other locator when the source provides one.

4. How to cite an interview in Chicago style

Chicago offers more than one documentation system. The examples here use the notes and bibliography approach, which is common in humanities writing. Published interviews are cited according to their source type, usually with the interviewee identified first. An unpublished interview is usually documented in a note and may not need a bibliography entry.

Published interview

Bibliography pattern: Interviewee Last Name, First Name. “Title of Interview.” Interview by Interviewer First Name Last Name. Publication Name, Month Day, Year. URL.

Illustrative example: Patel, Mira. “Planning a Greener Block.” Interview by Jordan Lee. City Review, April 12, 2025. https://example.com/interview.

First note: 1. Mira Patel, “Planning a Greener Block,” interview by Jordan Lee, City Review, April 12, 2025, https://example.com/interview.

Unpublished interview

For an unpublished interview, a Chicago note should identify the interviewee and interviewer, give useful context, and include the place or date when known. If a transcript or recording is available, indicate where readers can find it. The Chicago Manual of Style’s official Q&A explains that unpublished interviews are best cited in text or notes, though they may occasionally appear in a bibliography. See its guidance on documenting interviews.

Illustrative note: 1. Mira Patel, interview by Jordan Lee, April 12, 2025.

For Chicago author-date, check the relevant manual guidance and your instructor’s requirements; do not assume notes-and-bibliography examples can simply be converted by changing punctuation.

5. Compare APA, MLA, and Chicago interview citations

The differences become easier to see when you compare the same hypothetical published interview. The examples below are invented for demonstration, and the URL is a placeholder.

The sample rows do not describe one identical interview: they illustrate style patterns with fictional details. In actual work, use the names and title exactly as the real source presents them, then apply the specific style’s format. Do not copy an example’s author order across styles.

6. Use this interview citation checklist

1. Confirm the required style and edition. Check the assignment sheet, department guide, or instructor before formatting.
2. Classify the interview. Is it published, privately conducted, archived, or collected as your own research data?
3. Record the source details. Save the interviewee, interviewer, title, date, publication or program, page numbers or timestamps, URL, and repository details as applicable.
4. Choose the correct reference model. Use the source format for a published interview; follow the style’s special treatment for unpublished interviews.
5. Match in-text citations to the full documentation. Check that author names, dates, notes, and Works Cited or References entries agree.
6. Check access and privacy. Do not publish private contact details or identifying information without a valid reason and appropriate permission.
7. Verify the final punctuation and ordering. Use the current style guide or your institution’s approved resource for details not shown in a brief template.

7. Avoid common interview-citation mistakes

• Using one rule for every interview. Published articles, private interviews, and participant data are not interchangeable source types.
• Listing the wrong person first. APA, MLA, and Chicago can assign different roles to the interviewer and interviewee.
• Adding an inaccessible interview to the wrong list. APA personal communications are generally cited in text only; MLA and Chicago handle interviews differently.
• Treating research participants as ordinary sources. Explain your method and protect participant identity as required instead of inventing public reference details.
• Leaving out retrieval information. For a public interview, include enough publication or archive information to locate it.
• Copying a citation generator without checking. Tools can omit context or classify the source incorrectly. Verify the entry against the assigned style and the source itself.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I cite an interview I conducted myself?

First check your citation style and whether the interview is private or part of your original research. APA generally cites an unpublished private interview as a personal communication in the text only; MLA generally includes an entry in Works Cited; Chicago usually uses a note for an unpublished interview. Research-participant data may require a different reporting approach.

Do personal interviews go in an APA reference list?

An unpublished personal interview that readers cannot retrieve is generally treated as a personal communication in APA and cited in the text, not in the References list. A published or otherwise retrievable interview should be cited using the format for its source type.

Who is the author when citing a published interview?

It depends on the style and source type. APA commonly lists the interviewer as author for a published newspaper interview, while MLA and Chicago generally place the interviewee first. Check the relevant template for the format in which the interview appeared.

How do I cite a published interview with no title?

Use the citation style’s instructions for untitled works rather than making up a title. MLA’s official interview guidance says to use the generic description Interview when an interview is untitled. For APA and Chicago, follow the applicable source-type rules and consult the current manual or institutional guide.

Should I cite interview participants as personal communications?

Not automatically. Interviews collected as data for your own research are generally discussed and reported as research data, with confidentiality and ethical requirements in mind. Ask your instructor or consult your institution’s research-reporting guidance if you are unsure.

Key takeaways

• Classify the interview before choosing a citation format.
• Published interviews are cited according to their publication or media format.
• APA, MLA, and Chicago differ in author placement and in how they document unpublished interviews.
• Do not confuse a private interview with interviews conducted as research-participant data.
• Verify examples against the required style edition and your instructor’s directions.

Accurate referencing helps readers distinguish your analysis from interview material and, where possible, trace the source. When your citation list or formatting needs a careful review, explore OakWrites document-support services or use the Order Now page to request a quote.

Sources

• APA Style: In-Text Citations
• APA Style: Reference Examples
• MLA Style Center: How to Document an Interview
• The Chicago Manual of Style: Documentation of Interviews
• Purdue OWL: Interviews and Other Non-Print Sources in APA