When embarking on a journey of academic research or in-depth reporting, especially within the realm of tourism and travel, the ability to accurately attribute sources is paramount. Among the diverse array of information sources available, interviews stand out as a unique and often invaluable component. They offer firsthand accounts, expert opinions, and nuanced perspectives that cannot be found in published works. However, properly citing these personal communications in a scholarly manner requires adherence to specific stylistic guidelines. The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) provides a robust framework for incorporating interviews into your work, ensuring clarity, credibility, and academic integrity. This guide delves into the intricacies of citing interviews according to CMOS, empowering travelers, researchers, and storytellers to professionally document their conversations.
Understanding the Nature of Interviews as Sources
Interviews, by their very definition, are direct interactions. Whether conducted in person during a trip to Kyoto, over the phone with a tour operator in Patagonia, or via video conference with a local artisan in Marrakech, they represent primary source material. This directness is their strength, but it also presents a challenge for citation: the information is not publicly accessible in the same way a book or journal article is. Therefore, the citation must provide enough detail for a reader to understand who was interviewed, when, and in what context, without requiring them to have direct access to the recording or transcript.
Types of Interviews
The approach to citation in Chicago style often depends on the nature and accessibility of the interview. Broadly, interviews can be categorized as:
- Published Interviews: These are interviews that have appeared in a published format, such as a newspaper article, magazine feature, or a transcript published in a scholarly journal. These are treated similarly to other published works.
- Unpublished Interviews: These are interviews conducted specifically for your research or project and have not been made public. This category includes personal interviews, telephone interviews, and video/audio calls. These require a more detailed, specific citation format to ensure readers understand their origin.
The Importance of Context in Citation
When citing an interview, especially an unpublished one, context is king. The reader needs to know not just who said what, but also under what circumstances. This includes understanding the interviewee’s relationship to the topic, the date of the interview, and the method of communication. For instance, an interview with a seasoned guide about the best hiking trails in the Swiss Alps carries a different weight than a brief chat with a hotel receptionist about local dining options. The citation should reflect this distinction, providing enough information to allow the reader to assess the source’s authority and relevance.
Citing Unpublished Interviews in Chicago Style
The most common scenario for researchers in travel and tourism is citing unpublished interviews. These are the conversations you have directly to gather insights for your work. Chicago style offers two primary methods for citing sources: the Notes and Bibliography system and the Author-Date system.
The Notes and Bibliography System
This system is prevalent in fields like history, literature, and the arts, and is often preferred when extensive use of primary sources, such as interviews, is involved.
Footnotes or Endnotes
When you quote or paraphrase information from an interview, you will use a superscript footnote or endnote marker in your text. The corresponding note will contain the full citation details.
The general format for an unpublished interview in a footnote or endnote is:
-
First Reference:
- Interviewee’s First Name Last Name, type of interview (e.g., interviewed by [Your Name], personal interview), Month Day, Year, Location (if relevant, e.g., phone call from [Your City], [Their City]).
-
Subsequent References:
- Last Name, Interviewee’s Last Name, interviewed by [Your Name], Month Day, Year.
Example:
In your text: “The most breathtaking vistas can be found at sunrise from the summit.”1
In your footnote/endnote:
- Maria Garcia, interviewed by [Your Name], personal interview, July 15, 2023, [Your City].
If the interview was conducted over the phone:
- Javier Rodriguez, interviewed by [Your Name], telephone interview, August 2, 2023, from [Your City].
If the interview was conducted via video call:
- Aisha Khan, interviewed by [Your Name], Zoom interview, September 10, 2023.
Key elements to include:
- Interviewee’s Full Name: First and last name.
- Your Role: Clearly state that you were the interviewer.
- Type of Interview: Specify if it was a personal interview, telephone interview, email interview, or video call.
- Date of Interview: Month, day, and year.
- Location (Optional but Recommended): Indicate the place from which the interview was conducted or the general context if it adds clarity (e.g., “during a visit to [Paris],” “from our hotel room in [Rome]”).
Bibliography Entry
While footnotes and endnotes provide immediate citation, a bibliography at the end of your work lists all sources consulted. For unpublished interviews, the bibliography entry is slightly different from the first footnote reference.
The general format for an unpublished interview in the bibliography is:
- Last Name, First Name. Interviewed by [Your Name]. Type of interview. Month Day, Year.
Example:
Garcia, Maria. Interviewed by [Your Name]. Personal interview. July 15, 2023.
Rodriguez, Javier. Interviewed by [Your Name]. Telephone interview. August 2, 2023.
Khan, Aisha. Interviewed by [Your Name]. Zoom interview. September 10, 2023.
Important Considerations for Unpublished Interviews:
- Privacy and Permissions: Always obtain consent before interviewing someone for your work, and be transparent about how the information will be used. If the interviewee requests anonymity, you can cite them as “An anonymous source” or use a pseudonym, but this should be done with great care and clear justification.
- Accessibility: Unpublished interviews are not publicly accessible. Therefore, the citation’s primary goal is to inform the reader of the source’s origin and credibility, rather than enabling them to retrieve it.
The Author-Date System
This system is more common in social sciences and natural sciences. It uses parenthetical in-text citations and a reference list at the end.
In-Text Citations
In the Author-Date system, a brief parenthetical citation is placed within the text, usually at the end of a sentence or clause, referring to the author of the information (in this case, the interviewee) and the year of the interview.
The format is typically: (Last Name Year).
Example:
“The most breathtaking vistas can be found at sunrise from the summit” (Garcia 2023).
If you mention the interviewee’s name in the text, you can place the year in parentheses immediately after their name:
Maria Garcia (2023) noted that “the most breathtaking vistas can be found at sunrise from the summit.”
Reference List
The reference list at the end of your work provides full details for each in-text citation.
The general format for an unpublished interview in a reference list is:
- Last Name, First Name. Year. Interviewed by [Your Name]. Type of interview. Month Day.
Example:
Garcia, Maria. 2023. Interviewed by [Your Name]. Personal interview. July 15.
Rodriguez, Javier. 2023. Interviewed by [Your Name]. Telephone interview. August 2.
Khan, Aisha. 2023. Interviewed by [Your Name]. Zoom interview. September 10.
Key Differences and Adaptations for Author-Date:
- The focus is on concisely identifying the source by interviewee and year within the text.
- The reference list provides the necessary fuller details for verification and context.
- The “author” in this system is the person interviewed, not the writer of the paper.
Citing Published Interviews
When an interview has been published, you treat it much like any other published work, but you still need to acknowledge its interview format.
Notes and Bibliography System
Footnotes or Endnotes
If the interview appears in a newspaper, magazine, or journal:
-
First Reference:
- Interviewee’s First Name Last Name, “Title of Interview (if any),” description of publication (e.g., interview by [Your Name] in [Publication Name], Month Day, Year), page number(s).
-
Subsequent References:
- Last Name, “Title of Interview,” page number(s).
Example:
- Elena Petrova, “A Life by the Mediterranean Sea,” interview by David Chen, Global Traveler Magazine, July 2023, 45.
For interviews published online:
- Elena Petrova, “A Life by the Mediterranean Sea,” interview by David Chen, Global Traveler Magazine, July 2023, accessed [Date of Access], [URL].
Bibliography Entry
- Last Name, First Name. “Title of Interview (if any).” Interview by [Your Name]. Publication Name, Month Day, Year.
Example:
Petrova, Elena. “A Life by the Mediterranean Sea.” Interview by David Chen. Global Traveler Magazine, July 2023.
Author-Date System
In-Text Citations
The in-text citation would generally follow the format for the publication in which the interview appears (e.g., a magazine article).
Example:
Elena Petrova spoke about her life along the Mediterranean Sea (Chen 2023).
Reference List
The reference list entry would correspond to the type of publication.
Example (for a magazine article):
Chen, David. 2023. “A Life by the Mediterranean Sea.” Interview with Elena Petrova. Global Traveler Magazine, July.
Special Cases and Best Practices
When dealing with interviews, especially those conducted during research for travel guides or cultural explorations, certain nuances require attention.
Interviews with Multiple Participants
If you interviewed a group of people, such as local residents in a small village in Bhutan or staff at a boutique hotel in New Orleans, ensure your citation clearly indicates this. In footnotes or endnotes, you might list the key individuals interviewed and note that the information comes from a group discussion. In the bibliography or reference list, you could list the individuals alphabetically or note “Group Interview” if specific names are less critical.
Interviews by Someone Else
If you are referencing an interview that was conducted by another researcher or journalist, your citation should reflect this.
- Notes and Bibliography:
- Interviewee’s First Name Last Name, interviewed by [Original Interviewer’s Name], Month Day, Year, as cited in [Your Source].
- Author-Date:
- (Last Name Year, as cited in Your Source)
Consistency is Key
Regardless of whether you choose the Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date system, consistency is paramount. Stick to one system throughout your entire work. Ensure that every interview you use is cited, and that each citation, whether in a note or in the reference list, contains all the necessary information for clarity and verification. Proper citation of interviews enhances the credibility of your research and respects the contributions of those you speak with, enriching your narrative whether you are detailing an adventure in the Andes Mountains or a culinary discovery in Tuscany.
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