How do I cite personal experiences in APA format?
Answer
Personal experiences and knowledge generally do not need to be cited in an APA references page or within the body (in-text citation) of your paper. Personal experience and knowledge is part of your voice; it is what you bring to your paper. If you use personal knowledge that is unusual or to make a statement that someone might question, however, you will want to find research to back your knowledge up. Read more in our answer on self-citing.
Personal communications. Frequently confused with personal knowledge and experience are personal communications (any information that is not retrievable, such as phone conversations, interviews, email, memos, and personal letters). Personal communications (interviews, conversations) need to be cited in-text, but not in the reference list. Click here to learn more.
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