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MLA Style: Basics

This guide is intended to help you cite sources in MLA style, avoid plagiarism, learn what MLA style is and includes, find examples of MLA style, lead you to campus resources that can help you cite sources in MLA, and more.

Interviews & Personal Communications


Interviews

Unpublished Interview

General Format

Interviewee. Interview. Conducted by Interviewer, Date.

Interviewee. Telephone interview with the author. Date.

For Example

Obama, Barack. Interview. Conducted by Girl Scout Troop 82, 4 June 2010.

Ginsburg, Ruth Bader. Telephone interview with the author. 15 Sept. 2016.

In-Text Citation

Parenthetical Citation

(Obama)

(Ginsburg)

Citation in Prose

Obama, in an interview with local Girl Scout Troop 82, said that...

Published Interview

General Format

Interviewee. "Interview Title." Interview by Interviewer. Container, Publisher, Date, Location.

For Example

Ramos, Anthony. "'In The Heights' Star Anthony Ramos Says The Movie Sees 'Good In Every Hood'." Interview by Terry Gross. NPR, 14 June 2021, www.npr.org/2021/06/14/1006219871/in-the-heights-anthony-ramos-lin-manuel-miranda-musical-movie.

In-Text Citation

Parenthetical Citation

(Ramos)

Citation in Prose

Anthony Ramos, who plays Usnavi in In The Heights...

Personal Communications

Emails

General Format

Sender. Email to Recipient. Date.

For Example

Wallingford, Jason. Email to the author. 23 Aug. 2020.

Zhang, Lin. Email to the Board of Trustees. 2 Dec. 2008.

In-Text Citation

Parenthetical Citation

(Wallingford)

(Zhang)

Citation in Prose

Jason Wallingford admitted, in an email, that...

Lin Zhang wrote to the Board of Trustees to express concerns. In her email, dated December 2, 2008,...

Text Messages

General Format

Sender. Text message to Recipient. Date.

For Example

Richards, Penny. Text message to Hunter Fabin. 4 Apr. 2021.

In-Text Citation

Parenthetical Citation

(Richards)

Citation in Prose

Penny Richards stated, in a text message to Hunter Fabin and obtained by court order, that...