Writing Help: Citing Generative AI

Citation Considerations and GenAI

Citations serve multiple purposes in academic writing:

Citations allow you to acknowledge and give credit to the original authors or creators of ideas, data, and information you've used in your work.
Proper citation is essential for avoiding plagiarism and maintaining academic integrity. By clearly indicating which ideas you borrowed from others, you demonstrate intellectual honesty.
Citations lend authority to your work by showing that your arguments are supported by reputable sources and existing research. This builds trust with your readers and establishes credibility.
Citations provide a way for your readers to locate and verify the referenced material, allowing them to delve deeper into the subject if desired.
By citing others, you are contributing to the scholarly conversation, placing your work within the broader context of academic discourse in your field.

No matter the citation style you use, when it comes to generative AI (GenAI), make sure that you

verify GenAI outputs. If the outputs provide sources, review them; GenAI tools can fabricate sources and generate improper citations.
cite outputs and disclose the uses of GenAI tools (e.g., generating ideas, data processing, paraphrasing, editing, or translation).

Regardless of style guide recommendations, always consult with your instructor, supervisor, or publisher when considering whether to use generative AI for an assignment, academic project, or publication. Furthermore, if you are co-authoring a work, check in with any collaborators or group members to co-create a documentation process and agree upon citation practices (see the section Using AI: Writing tab --> Writing with Co-authors or Group Members). View this video if you would like to see a demonstration of documentation and citation in action.

As AI technologies develop, standards for citing their outputs and uses are expected to change. Some style guides have issued initial guidelines on citing AI-generated content. This section provides examples from five different citation styles and advice for citing non-textual outputs.

Citation Styles and GenAI

American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guidelines

When citing GenAI outputs like text generated by ChatGPT,

treat the content as an algorithmic output, and
credit the company or organization that created the AI model as the author.

For more information, see the APA Style Blog: How to Cite ChatGPT.

In-Text Citation Format

For a direct quotation or paraphrase or to cite the tool itself, use the following format for in-text citations:

Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2024)
Narrative citation: OpenAI (2024)

Reference List Entry Format

Format

Author. (Year of the Version). Title of the Tool (Version if applicable) [Tool description if applicable]. Source/URL

Example

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

Other Guidance

Research Papers

The APA recommends that authors explain how they used AI tools in the Methods section.

Literature Reviews or Essays

The APA recommends

describing in the introduction how GenAI was used, and
providing the prompt used as well as any pertinent outputs in the body.

Appendix

You can provide the text of your chat session with GenAI in an appendix, but be sure to refer to the appendix at least one time in the body of your work.

Quoting

If your readers cannot retrieve your chat sessions, describe your interactions.

Example sentence describing chat session:

When prompted with "is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?" the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, "the notion that people can be characterized as 'left-brained' or 'right-brained' is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth" (OpenAI, 2023).

Source for the above example:

McAdoo, T. (2023, April 7). How to cite ChatGPT. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt

Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Guidelines

The Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Center states that writers should:

cite GenAI tools each time you “paraphrase, quote, or incorporate into your own work into any content (whether text, image, data, or other) that was created by it.”
acknowledge the use of GenAI tools if you use them for such practical tasks as editing or translating text.

For detailed directions and examples, including citation of images, visit How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?

In-text Citation Format

Direct quotation

Further, a comparison of the final paragraphs of Magarshack’s and Garnett’s translations of Dostoyevsky’s Бесы reveals that Magarshack’s shows a “more modern and fluent style” (“compare the styles of these two paragraphs”).

Paraphrase

Further, a comparison of the final paragraphs of Magarshack’s and Garnett’s translations of Dostoyevsky’s Бесы reveals Magarshack’s style to be more fluid and recognizable to modern readers (“compare the styles of these two paragraphs”).

Note that if prompts are too long for a citation, they can be abbreviated (for example, “Compare styles”).

Works Cited Entry Format

Refer to the MLA core elements of citations to create citations for your Works Cited list:

Author: do not treat AI tools as authors.
Title of Source: describe the AI-generated output in quotation marks, followed by the word "prompt."
Title of the Container: Name the tool in italics – e.g., ChatGPT
Version: provide the specific version of the tool, and if it includes a date, use a Day Month Year format.
Publisher: The AI company or developer – e.g., OpenAI,
Publication date: provide the date you generated the content, using the Day Month Year format (e.g., 12 June 2023),
Location: If you have a shareable URL for the chat session, provide it, and if you do not, give the general URL for the tool (e.g., chat.openai.com/chat)

Examples:

1. "Examples of potential harm reduction initiatives" prompt. ChatGPT, 23 Mar. version, OpenAI, 4 Mar. 2024, chat.openai.com/chat.

2. "Note all instances of the word ‘dark’" prompt. ChatGPT, 24 May 2024 version, OpenAI, 27 June 2024. chat.openai.com/chat.

Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) Guidelines

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) advises against including AI-generated content in the bibliography or reference list of your academic work. This applies to both the notes-bibliography style, commonly referred to as "Turabian Style" for students, and the author-date style.

Instead of citing AI-generated content in the bibliography or reference list, cite the content as you would a "personal communication" using a footnote (if notes-bibliography style) or parenthetical citation (for author-date style).

With either version of CMS, you do not cite the usage of GenAI in your bibliography unless you have a publicly available link, which can be created with an AI Archives or ShareGPT browser extension.

Footnote Format (Notes-Bibliography / Turabian version of CMOS)

If the prompt was included in the text of your work:

1. Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, March 7, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/chat.

If the prompt was not included in the text of your work:

First footnote

1. ChatGPT, from response to “compare the common language in the following Confederation speeches by John A. Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier,” OpenAI, June 27, 2024.

Subsequent footnotes

2. ChatGPT, “compare the common language."

Parenthetical Format: (Author-Date version of CMOS)

(Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, March 7, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/chat.)

Note that you can include details about the prompt as well.

Other Guidance

For more information on citing content generated by AI, see the Chicago Manual Style Q&A

Vancouver Style Guidelines

As of June 2024, Vancouver Style editors have not yet explicitly addressed how to cite AI-generated content. However, generative AI (GenAI) outputs can be characterized as “personal communications” and “non-recoverable data,” so they should not be included in the reference list.

If writing for publication, be sure to check individual publishers’ guidelines on citation and questions of authorship. If writing in academic contexts, follow instructors’ or supervisors’ directions.

In-Text Citation

AI-generated content can be referenced in the text using the format below:

Type of Communication, Communicator, Date (DMY)

You can include specific details, such as the prompt, too. For example, “In a discussion with OpenAI's ChatGPT (15 July 2024), ...”

A chat output provided a suggested outline for the literature review section (ChatGPT response, prompt for "Outline for literature review on the impact of telemedicine on chronic disease management", 15 June 2024).

Other Guidance

For a complete guide to Vancouver style referencing, refer to Citing Medicine by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

IEEE Style Guidelines

Do not cite AI-generated content unless directed by a publisher, instructor, or supervisor. Such content is typically considered “private communication” or “non-recoverable material,” so is not provided with a citation number and it should not be included in the references.

If writing for publication, be sure to check the publishers’ guidelines on citation and questions of authorship. If writing in academic contexts, students should follow instructors’ or supervisors’ directions.

In-text Citation

Author’s name (Initials, Surname), private communication, Abbrev. Month, year).

Example:

A chat output provided …. (OpenAI’s ChatGPT, private communication, 25 June 2024).

Reference List

No citation is needed.

Additional Guidance

See the IEEE Reference Guide, 2023, section Q re: "private communication."

Non Textual Outputs (images, music, figures, etc.)

As of July 2024, only MLA and Chicago Manual of Style editors have provided guidelines for citing AI-generated visuals and other works. However, when incorporating non-textual outputs of GenAI, such as images, music, or figures, you must properly attribute the use of AI.

Additional Guidance

Goold, P. (2024, April 17). Generative AI and creativity: A quick analysis of US and Canadian copyright registrations for artistic works. Kluwer Copyright Blog.

University of Toronto Libraries. (2024). Art, artists, and copyright - Artificial intelligence for image research.

Vyas, B. (2022). Ethical implications of generative AI in art and the media. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 4(1), 1-11.