Any time you use words that are not your own or reference ideas that are not yours, you must include a citation indicating where they came from, whether they are copied word-for-word or not. This is true even when using generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT and others.
In most cases you should describe or cite the text of your prompt in addition to the text generated by the AI tool, but where that description is included in your paper depends on which style guide you're following.
| American Psychological Association |
Modern Language Association |
The Chicago Manual of Style |
|
include prompt in body of paper
- indicate how you used a particular tool in the Introduction and/or Methods section
- indicate which portion of your text was generated in response to your prompt(s) and any other relevant information
- include longer AI-generated texts in appendix
- include version number and/or software specification in your reference list
|
include prompt in body of paper, footnote, or works-cited list
- vet secondary sources cited by AI
- use general URL for tool homepage
- indicate all uses of tool (editing, translation, generation, etc.)
|
include prompt in body of paper or in numbered endnote or footnote
- indicate where AI-generated content has been edited
- don't include link unless it is publicly available
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| When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript). |
When asked to describe the symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby, ChatGPT provided a summary about optimism, the unattainability of the American dream, greed, and covetousness. However, when further prompted to cite the source on which that summary was based, it noted that it lacked “the ability to conduct research or cite sources independently” but that it could “provide a list of scholarly sources related to the symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby” (“In 200 words”). |
(ChatGPT, March 7, 2023) |
| OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat |
“In 200 words, describe the symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby” follow-up prompt to list sources. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 9 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat. |
ChatGPT, response to “Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients,” OpenAI, March 7, 2023. |
APA Guidance - More to Know!
- Though the APA Style Guide team is actively seeking input from various higher education partners, they recommend students defer to guidelines set by their instructors and/or university when writing course papers.
- Because text-generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT do not reproduce the same exact content for each user, their responses fall under the category of "nonretrievable data or quotations," which are typically considered personal communications and cited as such. However, because there is no person actually communicating, quoting text from an AI chat is "more like sharing an algorithm's output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm".
- As these tools continue to evolve, they might reclassify themselves, which is why it's important to double-check the About page for the parent company or software behind whatever tool you're using. For example, some large language models may be considered "large multimodal models".
- It is recommended that generative AI users adopt "scrutiny of the primary sources as a standard process" given what we've learned about bias, hallucinations, and unreliability in artificial intelligence.
MLA Guidance - More to Know!
- The Modern Language Association utilizes the same "template of core elements" for all works-cited entries, including guidelines for citing artificial intelligence.
- It is recommended that writers "cite a generative AI tool whenever you paraphrase, quote, or incorporate into your own work any content (whether text, image, data, or other) that was created by it".
- In accordance with publisher guidelines, MLA advises writers against treating any AI tool like a co-author.
- When using generative artificial intelligence to create a new work such as a poem or painting, you should include the title of the work generated as well as the prompt used.
- If you use an AI tool that includes sources but do not utilize the sources themselves, they should be cited as indirect or secondary sources.
- If you use an AI tool that includes sources and utilize language from the original sources instead of the AI-generated content, you can cite the original sources and leave out AI altogether. The AI tool then becomes a research conduit rather than a direct source.
- See "Citing Indirect Sources" on Purdue OWL's MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics page for more on this.
Chicago Guidance - More to Know!
- For informal writing (i.e. not tied to research, coursework, or professional content), acknowledging the AI tool is enough to be considered a citation. [Example: “The following recipe for pizza dough was generated by ChatGPT.”]
- According to the Chicago Style Guide, the AI tool stands in as the author, with the company that developed the tool serving as the publisher.
- URLs are not considered an essential part of AI citations in Chicago Style, because it is impossible for readers to view or replicate the exact conversations and products from an individual's generative artificial intelligence session.
- See "Authorship and AI Tools" from the Committee on Publication Ethics to learn more about artificial intelligence trends, considerations, and author responsibilities in scholarly publishing.
