How to Cite an Email: A Comprehensive Guide for Every Style

Email communication has become an integral part of modern life, permeating both personal and professional spheres. As such, there are situations where you might need to cite an email in an academic paper, research report, or other formal document. Citing emails correctly is crucial for maintaining academic integrity, giving proper credit, and allowing readers to locate the original source if necessary. However, the method of citation varies depending on the citation style you are using. This comprehensive guide will provide you with detailed instructions and examples for citing emails in various popular citation styles, including MLA, APA, Chicago, and IEEE.

Why is it Important to Cite Emails?

Before diving into the specifics, it’s essential to understand why citing emails is important:

* **Academic Honesty:** Just like any other source, emails contain information and ideas that belong to the sender. Citing them acknowledges their intellectual property and avoids plagiarism.
* **Credibility:** Proper citations add credibility to your work by demonstrating that you have researched your topic thoroughly and are relying on reliable sources.
* **Transparency:** Citations allow readers to verify your information and find the original source if they want to learn more or assess the context of the email exchange.
* **Legal and Ethical Considerations:** In some situations, such as legal proceedings, properly citing emails can be crucial for establishing authenticity and avoiding copyright infringement.

General Principles of Email Citation

Regardless of the specific citation style, certain general principles apply when citing emails:

* **Identify Key Information:** Before you can cite an email, you need to gather essential information such as the sender’s name, recipient’s name (if relevant), date of the email, subject line, and any other details that might be relevant to your citation style.
* **Determine the Appropriate Citation Style:** The citation style you should use will typically be dictated by your professor, institution, or the journal or publication you are submitting to. Common styles include MLA, APA, Chicago, and IEEE.
* **Follow the Style Guidelines Precisely:** Each citation style has specific rules and formats for citing different types of sources. Make sure you consult the official style guide or a reliable online resource and follow the instructions meticulously.
* **Include a Full Citation and In-Text Citation:** Most citation styles require both a full citation in a bibliography or reference list and an in-text citation within the body of your text. The in-text citation provides a brief reference to the full citation, allowing readers to locate the source quickly.
* **Consider Privacy:** Be mindful of the privacy of the sender and recipient. If the email contains sensitive or personal information, consider obtaining permission before citing it, or anonymizing the sender’s name.

Citing Emails in MLA Style

The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used in the humanities. Here’s how to cite an email in MLA format:

Full Citation (Works Cited)

The general format for citing an email in MLA’s Works Cited list is as follows:

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Subject Line of Email.” Email to Recipient’s Name (if applicable). Date of Email. Medium (Email).

**Example:**

Smith, John. “Project Update.” Email to Jane Doe. 15 Jan. 2023. Email.

**Explanation:**

* **Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name:** The name of the email sender, with the last name first, followed by a comma and the first name.
* **”Subject Line of Email”:** The subject line of the email, enclosed in quotation marks.
* **Email to Recipient’s Name (if applicable):** If the recipient is relevant to the citation (e.g., if you’re discussing a personal correspondence), include “Email to” followed by the recipient’s name.
* **Date of Email:** The date the email was sent, in day-month-year format.
* **Medium (Email):** Indicate that the source is an email by writing “Email.” This helps differentiate it from other types of sources.

In-Text Citation

In MLA style, in-text citations typically include the author’s last name and the page number where the information is found. However, emails do not have page numbers. In this case, use the author’s last name and, if necessary, a shortened version of the subject line to distinguish between multiple emails from the same author.

**Example:**

(Smith, “Project Update”)

**Explanation:**

* **(Smith, “Project Update”)**: This refers to the email from John Smith with the subject line “Project Update”.

**Example Scenarios:**

* **Email between you and someone else:** “As Smith explains, the deadline has been extended (Smith, \”Project Update\”).”
* **Email forwarded to you:** Cite the original sender, not the person who forwarded it.
* **Email chain:** If you are referencing a specific email within a chain, cite that specific email using its date and subject.

Citing Emails in APA Style

The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used in the social sciences. Here’s how to cite an email in APA format:

Full Citation (Reference List)

APA generally discourages citing personal communications (including emails) in the reference list, as these sources are not typically retrievable by other researchers. However, if you feel it is necessary to cite an email, you can include it as a personal communication within the text. If you are required to include it in the reference list (check with your professor), use the following format:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). *Subject line of email* [E-mail to B. B. Author].

**Example:**

Smith, J. (2023, January 15). *Project Update* [E-mail to J. Doe].

**Explanation:**

* **Author, A. A.:** The sender’s last name, followed by a comma and their initials.
* **(Year, Month Day):** The year, month, and day the email was sent.
* ***Subject line of email***: The subject line of the email, italicized.
* **[E-mail to B. B. Author]:** Indicate that the source is an email and who it was sent to (recipient’s initials and last name). This information is enclosed in square brackets.

In-Text Citation

In APA style, personal communications are cited within the text but are not included in the reference list. Use the following format:

(A. A. Author, personal communication, Month Day, Year)

**Example:**

(J. Smith, personal communication, January 15, 2023)

**Explanation:**

* **(A. A. Author, personal communication, Month Day, Year):** Include the sender’s initials and last name, followed by “personal communication,” and the date the email was sent.

**Example Scenarios:**

* “Smith stated that the deadline was extended (J. Smith, personal communication, January 15, 2023).”
* If you are referencing multiple emails from the same person, include a brief description to differentiate them (e.g., J. Smith, personal communication regarding project updates, January 15, 2023).

Citing Emails in Chicago Style

The Chicago Manual of Style is commonly used in history, literature, and other humanities disciplines. Chicago style has two main citation systems: notes and bibliography, and author-date. The method for citing email will vary slightly depending on which system is being used.

Notes and Bibliography Style

In the notes and bibliography style, emails are typically cited in footnotes or endnotes rather than in a bibliography. If your instructor requires an entry in the bibliography, the format is slightly different.

**Footnote/Endnote:**

First name Last name, “Subject Line,” email to Recipient Name, Date.

**Example:**

John Smith, “Project Update,” email to Jane Doe, January 15, 2023.

**Explanation:**

* **First name Last name:** The name of the sender, with the first name first, followed by the last name.
* **”Subject Line”:** The subject line of the email, enclosed in quotation marks.
* **email to Recipient Name:** Indicate that the source is an email and include the recipient’s name (if relevant).
* **Date:** The date the email was sent, in month day, year format.

**Bibliography Entry (If Required):**

Last name, First name. “Subject Line.” Email to Recipient Name, Date.

**Example:**

Smith, John. “Project Update.” Email to Jane Doe, January 15, 2023.

**Note the subtle difference in order compared to the footnote/endnote format.**

Author-Date Style

Similar to APA, Chicago’s author-date style generally discourages citing personal communications in the reference list (called “References” in Chicago). However, if you must include it, use the following format:

Last name, First name. Date. “Subject Line.” Email to Recipient Name.

**Example:**

Smith, John. 2023. “Project Update.” Email to Jane Doe.

**Explanation:**

* **Last name, First name:** The sender’s last name, followed by a comma and the first name.
* **Date:** The year the email was sent.
* **”Subject Line.”:** The subject line of the email, enclosed in quotation marks.
* **Email to Recipient Name:** Indicate that the source is an email and include the recipient’s name (if relevant).

In-Text Citation (Author-Date)

For in-text citations in the author-date style, include the sender’s last name and the year the email was sent.

**Example:**

(Smith 2023)

**Example Scenarios (Chicago Style):**

* **Notes and Bibliography:** “Smith confirmed the extension in an email (John Smith, \”Project Update,\” email to Jane Doe, January 15, 2023).”
* **Author-Date:** “Smith (2023) confirmed the extension in an email.”

Citing Emails in IEEE Style

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) style is commonly used in engineering and computer science. IEEE style relies on numbered citations.

Full Citation (Reference List)

In IEEE style, emails are cited in the reference list with a number corresponding to the order they appear in the text. The format is as follows:

[#] Sender’s Initials. Last Name, “Subject Line of Email,” email to Recipient’s Initials. Last Name, Date of Email.

**Example:**

[1] J. Smith, “Project Update,” email to J. Doe, Jan. 15, 2023.

**Explanation:**

* **[#]:** The citation number, enclosed in square brackets.
* **Sender’s Initials. Last Name:** The sender’s initials, followed by a period and their last name.
* **”Subject Line of Email”:** The subject line of the email, enclosed in quotation marks.
* **email to Recipient’s Initials. Last Name:** “email to” followed by the recipient’s initials, a period, and their last name (if relevant).
* **Date of Email:** The date of the email, abbreviated month followed by the day and year.

In-Text Citation

In IEEE style, in-text citations consist of the citation number enclosed in square brackets.

**Example:**

[1]

**Example Scenarios:**

* “As Smith explained [1], the deadline has been extended.”
* Multiple citations: “Several researchers have addressed this issue [1], [3], [5]-[7].”

Important Considerations When Citing Emails

* **Accessibility:** Email can be considered ephemeral, meaning it may not be readily accessible to all readers. Whenever possible, try to cite more accessible sources instead. If the information in the email is available elsewhere (e.g., in a published report), cite that source instead.
* **Privacy:** Always be mindful of the privacy of the sender and recipient. If the email contains sensitive or personal information, obtain permission before citing it or consider anonymizing the sender’s name.
* **Accuracy:** Ensure that you accurately transcribe the information from the email, including the sender’s name, date, subject line, and content. Double-check your citations for errors.
* **Professionalism:** Use professional judgment when deciding whether to cite an email. If the information is trivial or readily available elsewhere, it may not be necessary to cite the email.
* **Archiving:** Consider archiving the email (e.g., by saving it as a PDF) to ensure that you have a copy of the source in case it is lost or deleted.
* **Context:** Provide sufficient context for the email in your writing. Explain why the email is relevant to your argument and how it supports your claims.
* **Check with your instructor/editor:** If you are unsure about how to cite an email in a particular situation, consult with your professor, editor, or a librarian. They can provide guidance on the appropriate citation style and best practices.

Troubleshooting Common Email Citation Issues

* **No Subject Line:** If the email does not have a subject line, create a brief descriptive phrase in its place (e.g., “Email regarding project timeline”). Enclose the phrase in quotation marks.
* **Multiple Authors:** If the email has multiple authors, cite all of them in the citation. If there are too many authors to list, use “et al.” after the first author’s name (e.g., Smith et al.). However, check your specific style guide, as some may differ on when to use et al.
* **Forwarded Emails:** Cite the original sender, not the person who forwarded the email. If you need to indicate that the email was forwarded, you can add a note in the citation (e.g., “Forwarded by [Name] on [Date]”).
* **Email Chains:** If you are referencing a specific email within a chain, cite that specific email using its date and subject line. If you are referencing the entire chain, you can cite the first email in the chain and indicate that it is part of a chain.
* **Obtaining Permissions:** If you are concerned about privacy or copyright, obtain permission from the sender and recipient before citing the email. Explain how you plan to use the email and assure them that you will protect their privacy.

Tools and Resources for Citing Emails

* **Citation Style Guides:** Consult the official style guides for MLA, APA, Chicago, and IEEE. These guides provide detailed instructions and examples for citing various types of sources.
* **Online Citation Generators:** Use online citation generators to help you format your citations correctly. However, be sure to double-check the generated citations for accuracy.
* **University Libraries:** Visit your university library for assistance with citation. Librarians can help you find the appropriate style guide and answer any questions you have about citation.
* **Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab):** The Purdue OWL is a valuable resource for learning about citation styles and writing conventions.
* **Grammarly:** Grammarly can help you check your citations for errors and ensure that they are consistent with the chosen style guide.

Conclusion

Citing emails correctly is an essential skill for academic and professional writing. By following the guidelines outlined in this comprehensive guide, you can ensure that you are giving proper credit to the original source, avoiding plagiarism, and maintaining academic integrity. Remember to consult the official style guide for your chosen citation style and to double-check your citations for accuracy. With a little practice, you can master the art of citing emails and enhance the credibility of your work.