How to Cite a Personal Communication in APA 7th edition

Emails, letters, phone calls, and private correspondence.

Example in APA 7th edition

Cited in the text only. This style gives it no entry in the reference list.

In-text (J. Smith, personal communication, January 15, 2024)

What APA 7th edition includes

These are the details of the example above that the style prints, so they are the ones to collect for your own source.

  • Sender/Author
  • Date

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

The formatting comes from the style's own file, so check the finer points against your guide. What to check by hand in APA 7th edition.

A Personal Communication in other styles

MLA 9th edition Chicago 18th edition (notes and bibliography) Harvard (Cite Them Right 12th edition) IEEE Vancouver

Other sources in APA 7th edition

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 Preprint Document Post Blog Post Generative AI