Skip to Main Content

Chicago Citation Guide (17th Edition): Personal Communications (Emails, Interviews, etc.)

Personal Communications

NOTE: The examples below are for synchronous interviews (questions asked and answers given in real-time). For interviews conducted asynchronously, cite according to the format used (ex. if the interview was conducted over email, cite it as an email).

Interviews (in-person)

Footnote:

  1. First Name Last Name of Person Who Was Interviewed, interview by First Name Last Name of Interviewer, Date of Interview.

Bibliography Entry:

n/a

 Unpublished personal interviews are usually referenced within the text itself, or cited in a footnote. They rarely appear in bibliographic entries.

Footnote Example

1. Elizabeth Myers, interview by Bob Jones, March 12, 2016. 
Shortened Footnote Example

2. Myers, interview.
Bibliography Entry Example

n/a

Interviews (remote) (Zoom, Skype, telephone, etc.)

Footnote:

  1. First Name Last Name of Person Who Was Interviewed, method of interview by First Name Last Name of Interviewer, Date of Interview.

Bibliography Entry:

n/a

 Unpublished personal interviews are usually referenced within the text itself, or cited in a footnote. They rarely appear in bibliographic entries.

Footnote Example

1. William Ball, Zoom interview by Jae Lee Hyun, January 30, 2016.
Shortened Footnote Example

2. Ball, Zoom interview.
Bibliography Entry Example

n/a

Email

Footnote:

  1. First Name Last Name of Person Who Sent Email, email message to author, Date of Message.

Bibliography Entry:

n/a

 Unpublished personal communications are usually referenced within the text itself, or cited in a footnote. They rarely appear in bibliographic entries.

Footnote Example

1. Paula Smith, email message to author, May 20, 2016.
Shortened Footnote Example

2. Smith, email message.
Bibliography Entry Example

n/a