How to Cite an Interview in MLA Format
MLA Interview Citation Overview
Citing an interview in MLA format requires identifying the interviewee as the author and providing the title or a description of the conversation. To cite an interview, list the interviewee's name, the title of the interview, the publication or program name, and the date. This guide covers personal, print, and broadcast formats.
Step 1: Format the Interviewee's Name
In MLA style, the person being interviewed is considered the author of the source. Start your Works Cited entry with the interviewee's last name, followed by a comma and their first name. End this component with a period. If you are citing a famous person who was interviewed by someone else, the focus remains on the person speaking the words you are quoting. For example, if you interviewed a local business owner named Sarah Jenkins, you would begin with: Jenkins, Sarah.
Step 2: Provide the Title or Description
If the interview has a formal title (common in magazines, podcasts, or YouTube videos), place the title in quotation marks. Use title case capitalization. If the interview does not have a title, such as a personal interview you conducted for your research, provide a descriptive label. Use the phrase Personal interview or Email interview without quotation marks or italics. Follow this description with a period. This tells the reader exactly how the information was gathered.
Step 3: Identify the Container and Date
For published interviews, include the container (the name of the website, book, or television program) in italics. Follow the container with the date of publication. For personal interviews, simply list the date the interview took place after the descriptive label. Use the MLA date format: Day Month Year (e.g., 14 May 2023). If the interview was found online, include the URL at the end of the citation to help readers locate the source.
MLA Interview Citation Examples
Use these templates for the two most common interview types: **Personal Interview:** `Lastname, Firstname. Personal interview. Day Month Year.` `Example: Smith, John. Personal interview. 12 Oct. 2023.` **Published/Online Interview:** `Interviewee Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Interview." Website or Program Name, Day Month Year, URL.` `Example: Obama, Barack. "A Conversation with the President." The Daily, 15 Nov. 2020, www.nytimes.com/podcasts/the-daily.`
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these frequent errors when citing interviews:
1. Citing the interviewer first: Always lead with the interviewee's name, as they are the source of the information.
2. Italicizing titles: Interview titles go in quotation marks; only the container (like the magazine name) is italicized.
3. Missing the date: For personal interviews, the date of the conversation is the only way to track the source. Never omit it.
4. Incorrect in-text citations: Use only the interviewee's last name in parentheses. Do not include 'Personal interview' in the parenthetical citation.
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