How To Cite An Interview in MLA

When citing an interview in MLA style (8th edition), the interviewee’s name appears as the author in the in-text citation.

In the Works Cited entry, the interviewee’s name is followed by the interview title in quotation marks. If there is no title, use the description “Interview” (with no styling or quotation marks).

If you conducted the interview yourself, include your name and the date the interview took place if you found the discussion in a published source, including the interviewer’s name and the full source citation.

What exactly is MLA?

MLA is an abbreviation for the Modern Language Association, which is a literary and linguistic organization.

Depending on your class or research topic, your professor may require you to cite your sources in MLA format. This is a specific citation style that adheres to the Modern Language Association’s guidelines. Other types, such as APA format and Chicago citation style, are available, but MLA format is most commonly used in literature, language, liberal arts, and other humanities subjects. This handbook extensively covers this format but is not affiliated with the organization.

What precisely is MLA citation?

The 8th edition of the Modern Language Association Handbook systematizes how academics document their references and format their papers. When everyone notes their sources and articles in the same way, it is easy to identify and comprehend the types of sources used for a project. Readers of your work will look at your citations not only to understand them but also to possibly explore them.

It is crucial to give commendation to the original author when borrowing information from a source and using it in your research or assignment. It is accomplished by creating an MLA citation. Citations are placed in the body of your project depending on the type of information you’re including, and all are included in a “Works Cited” list at the end of your project.

The handbook describes how to make MLA citations. This article summarises the information in the 8th edition handbook.

How do you cite a personal interview by using MLA style?

You’ve conducted an excellent interview that will be ideal for your MLA paper. However, you are unsure of how to cite an interview in MLA. If you run an interview, cite your entry so that you would prefer personal communication. Start the Works Cited entry with the name of the interviewee if you conducted the discussion yourself. Then describe it as “Interview,” followed by your name and the date of the interview.

You can do this in one of three ways: via email, phone, or in person. In all cases, you will use the container system in conjunction with the nine core elements of MLA style citation.

You only need to include the interviewee’s last name in the parenthetical citation.

Parental Citations

Citations to sources that appear in the text of your paper are referred to as parenthetical citations. This makes the reader see where your information comes from right away, and it saves you the trouble of creating footnotes or endnotes.

Follow these examples to learn how to do MLA 8 interview citation types

Email Interview Citation

Person Who Was Interviewed’s Last Name, First Name “Email Subject Line.” Received by the name of the person who received the email, the day, month, and year of the email. Interview via email

Mary, Johnson. “Re: Publishing of Marked.” Received by Emily Rose, 4 June 2019. Email Interview.

In-Person Interview Citation

Person Interviewed’s Last Name, First Name The interview. First Name of Interviewer The last name Day, Month, and Year of the Interview

Johnson, Mary, Interview. By Emily Rose. 4 June 2019.

Citation of a Telephone Interview

Person Interviewed’s Last Name, First Name The interview. Day, Month, and Year of the Interview First Name of Interviewer The last name phone interview

Johnson, Mary, Interview. 4 June 2019. By Emily Rose. Telephone interview.

How Do You Cite a Print Interview using MLA style?

To cite an interview from a published source (such as a newspaper, book, podcast, or video), treat the interviewee as the author and put the interview title in quotation marks. Then, according to the MLA core elements, include complete source details.

Include the interviewee’s last name and (if available) the page number in the parenthetical citation. If the source is a video or audio recording, substitute the time range.

Interview published in an online magazine

You include the name of the publication, the date it was posted, and the URL for an interview published in an online magazine, newspaper, or blog.

Bidden, Joe. “The 2020 TIME Person of the Year Interview.” Interview by Madeleine Carlisle. Time, 20 December 2020 https://time.com/5919491/joe-biden-person-of-the-year-interview/

An interview published in a book

If the interview appears as a chapter or section in a book, include the book’s title, the author(s) or editor(s), the publisher, the year of publication, and the page range on which the interview appears.

JK Rowling. “Harry Potter saga.” Interview by Katie Couric. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2005 pp. 380–390.

To avoid repetition, omit this part of the citation if the author or editor of the book is the same as the interviewer.

Journalistic interview

You must include the journal name, volume and number, date or year, and page range for an interview published in an academic journal. If you found the discussion in an online database, include the database’s name and the DOI or stable URL.

Online video interview

Include the platform or website, the user who uploaded the interview, the date it was uploaded, and the URL if you access a video or audio recording of the interview online.

Smith, Zadie. “On Shame, Rage and Writing”. Interview by Synne Rifbjerg. YouTube, uploaded by Louisiana Channel, 17 Apr. 2018, www.youtube.com/­watch?v=4LREBOwjrrw.

Correct MLA 8 Interview Citation Style

Mastering how to quote an interview in MLA format can be helpful. Using personal or published interviews is an excellent way to provide your readers with a direct link to your subject’s mind. You can direct your questions to aid in the direction of your project and the development of your thesis. Cite your sources correctly in MLA format so that researchers can easily access your reference material.