How to Cite a Personal Communication

Emails, letters, phone calls, and private correspondence.

What You'll Need

Subject/Description
Sender/Author
Recipient(s)
Date
Communication Type

Record the communicator name, type (email, letter, conversation), and date. Personal communications are often cited in-text only.

Example Citations

APA
Smith, J. (2024, January 15). Re: Research collaboration inquiry [Email to John Doe].
In-text (J. Smith, personal communication, January 15, 2024)
MLA Handbook (in-text citations)
Smith, Jane. “Re: Research Collaboration Inquiry”. Email. 15 Jan. 2024.
In-text (Smith)
CMOS 17e with Bluebook (notes and bibliography [14.19])
.
Footnote Jane Smith, “Re: Research Collaboration Inquiry”, Email to John Doe, January 15, 2024.

Other Source Types

Website Book Journal Article Newspaper Article Book Chapter Thesis/Dissertation Report Video Podcast/Broadcast Magazine Article Software Dataset Patent Legal Case Legislation Bill Regulation Hearing Standard Treaty Conference Paper Manuscript Review Book Review Classic Work Reference Entry Dictionary Entry Encyclopedia Entry Periodical Collection Interview Speech Song Musical Score Graphic Figure Map Performance Event Pamphlet Article Document Post Blog Post