Where the personal communication is not archived or retrievable, for example conversations or personal letters, then the communication does not need to be listed in the reference list. Instead, place the information in brackets in-text.
Patient confidentiality means that you will need to use a pseudonym for the patient.
For example:
… and most of these illnesses proved to be treatable (2018 conversation between HJ Lewis and author; unreferenced) while the few that …
If the information is retrievable, use this format for the reference list:
Author’s name(s) Surname then first name. Use an initial for the first middle name- ignore any further middle names.
(Author’s place of occupation).
Connective Phrase: e.g. Conversation with:
Recipient name(s) Surname then first name. Use an initial for the first middle name- ignore any further middle names.
(Recipient’s occupation).
Date year month date.
If a document also add
Number of pages.
Place the item can be retrieved.
Example of a letter:
Anfinsen, Christian B. (Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD). Letter to: Cyril Ponnamperuma (University of Maryland, College Park, MD). 2018 Apr 23. 1 leaf. Located at: Modern Manuscripts Collection, History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD; MS C 496, Box 8, Folder 3.
Example of a conversation:
Patrias, Karen (Public Services Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD). Conversation with: Margaret Madison (Reference Department, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR). 2018 Mar 3.