When referencing general personal communication, reference list entries are not required. Refer to private letters, memos, email messages, personal interviews, telephone conversations, documents that cannot be retrieved, etc. in-text only.
Two examples of formatting an in-text citation for this item are outlined below:
| Reference Information | Personal interview with Robert Cole on September 8, 1981 |
| In-text Citation Guidelines |
Examples |
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1. First initial and last name, followed by "personal communication", and the full date placed in brackets at the end of a sentence. |
Consider this a sentence (R. Cole, personal communication, September 8, 1981). |
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2. Quote, beginning with first initial and last name; "personal communication" and full date at the end of the sentence in brackets. |
According to R. Cole, "consider this a direct quote" (personal communication, September 8, 1981). |
Remember, in-text citation formatting may change depending on a number of factors.
See Number of Authors, Publication Date, and Page/Paragraph Number or Heading for more information.