How to Cite Personal Communication APA: Emails, Lectures and More
The APA 7 in-text format for emails, conversations and unrecorded lectures, why there is no reference entry, when not to use it, and a template to copy.
Here is how to cite personal communication APA 7 style. Give the person's initials and surname, the words "personal communication", and the most exact date you have, as in (T. Nguyen, personal communication, February 24, 2020). Cite it in the text only, never in the reference list.
That example and the rules below come from APA Style's personal communications page, which reflects Section 8.9 of the Publication Manual. The harder part is deciding when the format applies, so most of this guide is about that.
What counts as a personal communication in APA
A personal communication is a source your reader cannot find. APA defines it this way: "Works that cannot be recovered by readers are cited in the text as personal communications."
APA's list includes "emails, text messages, online chats or direct messages, personal interviews," and telephone conversations. It also names live speeches, unrecorded webinars, unrecorded classroom lectures, memos and letters. Nonarchived social media livestreams and messages from nonarchived discussion groups count too.
The test is about retrieval, not about how informal the source feels. APA's rule is short: "Use a personal communication citation only when a recoverable source is not available."
How to cite personal communication APA style: the in-text format
APA's core instruction is "Give the initial(s) and surname of the communicator, and provide as exact a date as possible". There are two ways to write it, and both are shown on APA's page.
- Narrative: E.-M. Paradis (personal communication, August 8, 2019)
- Parenthetical: (T. Nguyen, personal communication, February 24, 2020)
Here are fill-in templates using the same pattern. Replace each bracketed placeholder:
[Initial]. [Surname] (personal communication, [Month] [Day], [Year]) noted that [point].
[Point you are reporting] ([Initial]. [Surname], personal communication, [Month] [Day], [Year]).
A thesis sentence might read like this, with placeholders for the details: "The archive's catalogue was being rebuilt at the time of fieldwork ([Initial]. [Surname], personal communication, [Month] [Day], [Year])". Name the person's role in the sentence if it helps the reader judge the claim, for example "the archive's curator".
Why there is no reference list entry
APA's reason is retrieval. Its page says personal communications "are not included in the reference list" because readers cannot retrieve the information in them. APA's works included page repeats the point: personal communications "are cited in the text only, not in the reference list."
When not to use a personal communication citation
Several sources look like personal communications but have a better format. Use this table to decide.
| Your source | What APA says to do |
|---|---|
| An email, text, phone call or private message | Personal communication |
| A lecture that repeats published research | Cite the research, which APA calls "preferable" |
| A lecture with original content not published elsewhere | Personal communication |
| A livestream or webinar that was recorded and is now on another platform | Use the template for that platform, such as a YouTube reference |
| A letter or memo kept only in an archive | Cite it as archival material |
| Quotes from participants you interviewed | Not a citation at all; quote them directly |
| Unrecorded traditional knowledge from an Indigenous person | APA's special format (see below) |
Your own research participants
This rule matters for any thesis that quotes interviews. APA says "Do not use a personal communication citation for quotes or information from participants whom you interviewed". Instead, "quote those participants directly."
APA's quoting participants page explains why. Their words "are part of your original research," so "do not include a reference list entry for them" and "do not treat them as personal communications". APA's example names a speaker by pseudonym with background details: ""Rafael" (64 years old, retired pilot)". For the full method, see our guide on how to cite an interview in a thesis.
Variations: dates, Indigenous knowledge and missing sources
The basic format above covers emails, conversations and unrecorded lectures. These three cases change it.
When you do not know the exact day
APA asks for "as exact a date as possible". Its two main examples give the month, day and year. Its Indigenous knowledge example gives only "April 2019", so a month and year is acceptable in APA's own examples when that is what you have.
Traditional knowledge from Indigenous Peoples
If the knowledge is recorded in a recoverable form, cite that source with a normal reference. If it is unrecorded, APA asks for more than initials. It says to "Provide the person's full name and the nation or specific Indigenous group to which they belong", with location or other relevant details.
APA's example reads: "We spoke with Anna Grant (Haida Nation, lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, personal communication, April 2019)". APA also says to "Ensure that the person agrees to have their name included in your paper" and that the person "confirms the accuracy and appropriateness of the information you present."
Information with no source you can cite
APA's missing information page gives two options for a work with no source: "Cite as a personal communication or find another work to cite". Where a published source makes the same point, citing it lets your examiners check it. For data a colleague sent you privately, see our guide on how to cite a dataset in APA 7.
Common mistakes with personal communication citations
These slips are easy to spot and easy to fix. Check each personal communication in your thesis against this list.
- Adding it to the reference list. APA cites personal communications in the text only.
- Using it for your participants. Quote participants directly, without a citation.
- Using it for a recording someone can find. A recorded webinar now on another platform takes that platform's format.
- Citing an unrecorded lecture when the research is published. Cite the published research instead.
- Writing a full first name. The standard format uses initials and surname. The Indigenous knowledge format is the exception.
- Giving only the year when you know the date. APA asks for "as exact a date as possible".
- Relying on it for a central claim. Your reader cannot check it, so look for a source they can retrieve as well.
Before you submit, keep the email or a dated note of each conversation in your own files. If an examiner asks about the source, you can show where the point came from.
If your university uses a different style
Follow the style your university, department or journal requires. APA's May 2026 blog post says "instructors, editors, institutions, and organizations may have their own guidelines."
If your handbook names another style, check how that style handles emails and conversations. Ask your supervisor before you format them. In any style, record who said it, their role, how you received it and the full date.
What Thesisroom does with this
Thesisroom does not rewrite your citations. Its References check, one of the checks in the rooms, matches your in-text citations to your bibliography in both directions. It reports citations with no entry and entries that nothing in your text cites.
In APA, a personal communication is a citation with no entry by design, so leave it out of the list even if a check reports it. For the references that are in your list, Citation Check looks each one up in eight registries. It shows which references it could verify, which are retracted, and which need checking by hand.
Frequently asked questions
Do personal communications go in the APA reference list?
No. APA says that because readers cannot retrieve them, personal communications are not included in the reference list. Cite them in the text only, with initials, surname, the words "personal communication" and the date.
How do I cite an email in APA 7?
As a personal communication in the text, for example (T. Nguyen, personal communication, February 24, 2020). Use the sender's initials and surname and the date of the email. Do not add a reference list entry.
How do I cite a lecture in APA?
If the lecture repeats published research, APA prefers that you cite the research. If it contained original content not published elsewhere, and it was not recorded, cite it as a personal communication.
Should I cite my interview participants as personal communications?
No. APA says quotes from participants you interviewed are part of your original research. Quote them directly, with no citation and no reference list entry, and protect their identity as your consent agreements require.
What date do I use for a conversation?
The date it happened, as exactly as you can. APA's main examples give month, day and year, such as August 8, 2019. Its Indigenous knowledge example gives a month and year only.
Can I cite a personal communication for a key claim?
APA allows it when no recoverable source exists, but your reader cannot check it. For a claim your argument depends on, look for a published source as well, and ask your supervisor if none exists.
Sources
- APA Style: Personal communications
- APA Style: Works included in a reference list
- APA Style: Quoting research participants
- APA Style: Missing reference information
- APA Style blog: We do not decide your source types
How this guide was made: Thesisroom drafted this guide with the help of AI writing tools, then checked every fact, figure and source by hand against the references linked above.