Personal communication

Warning icon Check with your teacher or lecturer before including this material as a reference source

Notes on style

Personal communications are not recoverable, so they are not included in the reference list but may be referred to in the text. Identify the communicator (seek approval for private communications) and date in round brackets (omit any detail already in the surrounding sentence). The following sources are considered to be personal communications:

  • Live lectures, presentations, performances, speeches, etc.
  • Private communications, such as letters, emails, conversations, personal interviews, or posts and comments on social media or other sites protected by privacy settings.
  • Class or lecture notes were taken by yourself or other students, and material accessible only to students of the unit course or institution.

In-text citation

(E. Jensen, personal communication, June 7, 2008).

Ford’s Adelaide performance (Festival Theatre, May 6, 2008).

No reference entry required