Library Guides: AI Tools and Resources: Citing AI Generated Writing

Ethical Use

Familiarize yourself with UP's policies on using AI. If you use a generative AI tool for writing, be transparent with your professors. Acknowledge your uses of the tool (such as editing your writing or translating words) within your paper, in a note, or in another suitable location like an appendix.

Ethical Question:

Should generative AIs be credited the same way as human authors? Citations are used to credit the work of other people and give readers a path to the sources used. A reader can then find and look at those sources to make their judgment on things like authority and accuracy. AI tools generate text in human language but may not accurately identify specific sources used. However, they can fabricate convincing citations to sources that don't exist.

What can you do?

Cite a generative AI tool when you paraphrase, quote, or incorporate other content (e.g., text, images, data) from it into your own work.
Providing a record of chat prompts and responses can also be helpful for someone assessing your work. Take screenshots or provide share links (now available for ChatGPT and Gemini).
When it comes to finding reliable sources, use search tools and resources featured in our library guides. They are still the most effective way to find and connect to real published sources.

-- APA Style

Guidance for citing ChatGPT and similar AI tools is emerging while continuing to be debated (more from APA).

Author. (Year). Name of model (Version) (Description). URL

Reference List Example:

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

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author, Year)

Example: (OpenAI, 2023)

In-Text Quote:

Provide the prompt you used and any portion of the relevant text that was generated in the text of your paper:

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 notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

-- MLA Style

Guidance for citing ChatGPT and similar AI tools is emerging while continuing to be debated (more from MLA).

"Prompt." Tool Name, Version, Producer, Date, URL.

Works Cited List Example:

“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

"What is Carrie Mae Weems' most influential work and what are its themes?" prompt. Gemini. 8 Feb. 2024 version, Google, 16 Feb. 2024, https://gemini.google.com/app.

In-Text Citation Example:

(Shortened version of prompt)

Examples: ("Describe the symbolism")

("What is Carrie")

-- Chicago Style

Guidance for citing ChatGPT and similar AI tools is emerging while continuing to be debated (more from Chicago).

For student papers or research articles, cite the AI language tool as a footnote. Don't cite AI tools in a bibliography or reference list unless you can provide a public link to the conversation.

Footnote example (if information about the prompt has been included within the text of your paper):

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

Footnote example (including information about the prompt):

1. ChatGPT, response to "Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients," March 7, 2023, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com/chat.

2. Gemini, response to "What is Carrie Mae Weems' most influential work and what are its themes?," February 16, 2024 https://gemini.google.com/app.