Writing Help: Citation and Integrating Sources

Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Guidelines

Note: Always follow your instructor’s requirements first, even if they differ from these 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 (MLA states that AI tools should not be treated as authors even if they generate whole creative works (e.g., poems or stories); instead, these works should be cited descriptively with titles or prompt descriptions)
• 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 2025),
• 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.

Vancouver Style Guidelines

Note: Always follow your instructor’s requirements first, even if they differ from these guidelines.

As of September 2025, 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. When writing in academic contexts, follow the directions of your instructors or supervisors.

In-Text Citation

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

Type of Communication, Communicator, Date (DMY)

You can also include specific details, such as the prompt. 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

Note: Always follow your instructor’s requirements first, even if they differ from these 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 it is not provided with a citation number and should not be included in the references.

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

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.)

Note: Always follow your instructor’s requirements first, even if they differ from these guidelines.

APA, MLA and the Chicago Manual of Style editors have provided guidelines for citing AI-generated visuals and other works. Non-textual outputs, such as images, music, or figures, must be properly cited.

Additional Guidance

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.