Question

In APA style, are personal communications (email, memos, letters included in the reference list? Do you need to include the author's initials and the exact date of communication?

Answer 1

In APA style, personal communications are not included in the reference list but should be cited in-text with the communicator's initials and last name, and the exact date of the communication.

Step-by-step explanation:

In APA style, personal communications such as emails, letters, memos, and alike are not included in the reference list because they do not provide recoverable data. Instead, personal communications should be cited in-text only. When citing a personal communication, you need to provide the initials and last name of the communicator, the words 'personal communication,' and the exact date of the communication.

For example, an in-text citation of an email would look like this: (J. Smith, personal communication, April 25, 2023).