Citing an Informal Conversation in MLA Format
According to the "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers" (7th edition), all information taken from outside sources must be cited in your research paper, including words and ideas from formal interviews and informal, private conversations. Proper citation of such information helps eliminate plagiarism, which can have long-reaching, negative consequences.
In-Text Citation
In MLA style, a conversation is treated as a formal interview. That means the signal phrase or citation gives the speaker's name. In a citation, the name appears within parentheses at the end of the borrowed words or ideas but before the end punctuation: (Smith). Alternatively, you may use the text to indicate the source, such as "According to Judy Smith." Because the source does not have a printed form, no page number is included.
Works Cited Entry
The entry on the Works Cited page helps the reader find more information about the sources you use in your paper. Although a conversation is not something your reader can look up, you still need a Works Cited entry to indicate where the ideas came from. Begin the entry with the speaker's last name, a comma, and the first name, followed by a period. Explain the type of communication with a phrase such as "Personal conversation" or "Personal interview," followed by a period. The date appears at the end of the entry in day-month-year order with no punctuation between, ending with a period. An entry might look like this:
Smith, Judy. Personal interview. 3 March 2013.
References
- MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition); Modern Language Association
Writer Bio
Kristie Sweet has been writing professionally since 1982, most recently publishing for various websites on topics like health and wellness, and education. She holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Northern Colorado.
