How to Properly Cite an Email in MLA, APA, and Chicago Styles

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Use an email message as a source in your essay, paper, or project

Co-authored by Marissa Levis and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: April 29, 2024 Fact Checked

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• MLA Style Citations
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• APA Style Citations
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• Chicago Style Citations
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• Expert Interview
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• Tips

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When writing a research paper or report, you may want to interview an expert on the topic or ask questions using email. If you use information from that email in your text, you'll have to cite the email so your readers know your source. The specific format of your citation will vary depending on whether you're using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago citation style.

Citing an Email in Your Paper

In MLA, APA, and Chicago styles, cite emails with in-text citations. In MLA, you'll also need to add it to your Works Cited page. APA doesn't require email citations in your references. In Chicago, cite the email in your reference list (Author-Date system) or notes (Humanities system).

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

MLA Style Citations

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1. 1
   Works Cited entry. When citing an email on your Works Cited page, begin with the sender's name, followed by the subject line in quotes. You'll also need to let readers know who received the message after "Received by," and the date on which it was received.

   • Example: Lane, Lois. "Re: Falling in Love with a Superhero." Received by Sally Sunshine, 18 Jul. 2018.
   • MLA no longer requires you to add "Email Interview" to citations for email-based interviews.
2. 2
   In-text citation. Use the last name of the author in your in-text citations. Unlike citing books and journals, there is no need to include a page number.

   • Example
     (Lane).
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Section 2 of 3:

APA Style Citations

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1. Cite emails in-text only. The APA style guide considers emails as personal communications and, thus, non-recoverable sources. Because non-recoverable sources don't require entries on your References page, you'll only need to cite emails in the text of your paper. These citations should include the sender's name, the words "personal communication," and the day and month on which the email was sent.

   • Parenthetical in-text citation example: (L. Lane, personal communication, July 18, 2018)
   • Narrative in-text citation example: L. Lane (personal communication, July 18, 2018)
   • If you received multiple emails from the same person over the course of one day, you might also include a timestamp when the email was received. For example: (L. Lane, personal communication, July 18, 2018, 12:40:07 p.m.)

Section 3 of 3:

Chicago Style Citations

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1. 1
   Author-date system reference list citation. The Chicago Manual of Style treats email messages as private communications or letters. If you're working in the Author-Date System, add a citation to your reference list that includes the sender's name and the method of communication ("email to"), followed by the recipient's name and date sent.

   • Example: Lois Lane, email to Sally Sunshine, July 18, 2018.
2. 2
   Humanities style note citation. If your paper is using the Humanities citation style (notes and bibliography), you don't have to cite the email in your bibliography. Instead, you'll add your citation to your footnotes or endnotes.

   • Example: 10. Lois Lane, email to Sally Sunshine, July 18, 2018.
3. 3
   In-text citations. When citing an email in the text, use the sender's last name, followed by the year.

   • Example: (Lane 2018)
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Tips

• The APA recommends verifying the sender of an email before including it as a source.
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• Check with your instructor or supervisor before using personal emails as sources for a research paper or project. They may want you to include copies of the emails with your paper so they can independently verify the source.
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