Citing Interviews in MLA Style: A Comprehensive Guide

When conducting research and writing academic papers, proper citation of your sources is crucial for maintaining integrity and avoiding plagiarism. This guide provides a detailed explanation of how to cite interviews using the MLA (Modern Language Association) style, both in-text and on the Works Cited page. Whether you are citing a personal interview or a published interview, this guide will help you adhere to MLA guidelines for accurate and professional citations.

Interviews With In-Text Citations

When citing interviews in the body of your paper, several conventions should be followed to ensure clarity and adherence to MLA standards.

Personal Interviews

For personal interviews, where no page numbers are applicable because the interview has not been published, you should use only the interviewee's last name in parentheses at the end of the sentence.

Use only the interviewee's last name in parentheses. Keep the parentheses as part of the sentence, placing the period after the parentheses.

Example: The superintendent stated that there would be money in the budget for new computers (Jones).

Absent from the parentheses is the full name of the interviewee, as it has already been mentioned in the sentence.

Eliminate the parenthetical citation if the last name appears in the sentence.

Example: Jones stated that there would be money in the budget for new computers.

In this format, the last name does not need to be repeated in parentheses, as it is already evident from the sentence.

Print Interviews

For interviews published in books or other print sources, provide the last name and the page number in parentheses.

Include the author's last name and the page number if the interview is published in a book or other print source. Cite this information as you would for any other book or journal.

Example: Emily trained so hard that she bruised her foot and had to take a break (Walker 45).

Note that MLA does not include a comma between the last name and the page number in a parenthetical citation.

Short Quotations from Interviews

Short quotations, which are no longer than four lines of typewritten text, should be enclosed in quotation marks. The (MLA) parenthetical citation should follow the closing quotation mark and before the period.

Example: Dr. James Hill said, "We need to conduct more research to understand the full impact of this policy."

If the quoted sentence ends with an exclamation point or a question mark, place the mark inside the quotation marks.

Example: Dr. James Hill asked, "What impact will these findings have on future policies?"

Long Quotations from Interviews

Long quotations, longer than four lines of typewritten text, should be formatted as block quotations. Use a colon after the lead-in text, not a comma. The block quotation should be indented one inch from the margin, and there should be no quotation marks around the quoted words.

Example: In an interview from 2002, Peter Jackson stated:

Punctuate the end of your block quote like this. Jackson said he will always keep making movies (34-35).

Citing Interviews on a Works Cited Page

The Works Cited page is where you list all of the sources you have cited in your paper. Below are the steps for citing interviews according to MLA guidelines.

Personal Interviews

For personal interviews, begin your citation with the last name of the interviewee, followed by the first name, a period, and then the type of interview (personal telephone or e-mail).

To format it correctly: Gambill, Mike. Telephone interview. 1 Apr. 2003.

Published Interviews

For published interviews, regardless of whether they are in print, web, or DVD formats, you should follow these steps:

Start with the last name followed by the first name, a period, and the type of interview. Provide the name of the interview in quotation marks, followed by a period. Insert the name of the larger work (book or TV show) in italics, followed by a period.

Example: Amis, Kingsley. “Interview with John Doe.” New Journal, Vol. 12, Issue 1, 2008, pp. 40-45.

If no author name is available for the interview, use "Interview" instead.

Format for online-only interviews is similar to standard web entries.

Provide the interviewee's last name, first name, title of the interview (in quotation marks), name of the website (in italics), name of the publisher, publication date (if available), the medium (web), and the date at which you accessed the interview.

Example: Obama, Michelle. Interview by Caren Zucker. ABC News. ABC, 2009, web, 19 Apr. 2009.

If no publisher is given, insert "n.p." in that place. Use "n.d." if no publication date is available. For interviews with no title, use a descriptor.

Example: Antin, David. Interview with X.

Adhering to these guidelines will ensure that your citations for interviews are accurate and professional, meeting the standards of the MLA style.