As with any other source we use in research assignments, AI-generated content also needs to be cited. Below are instructions from common citation styles on how to cite this content.
Refer to your professor's course syllabus and assignment instructions to understand to what extent you are allowed to use AI in each class. It's a good idea to save the transcript of the AI chat for future reference since the content will be different each time, even if you ask AI the exact same question. Depending on your assignment, you may want to include the transcript as an appendix to help the reader understand your research.
AMA instructs authors that AI programs should never appear in a reference list as an author or creator of content. AMA suggests authors describe how AI was used in the methods section of their paper, or in the acknowledgements section.
For use in an academic assignment it can be referenced as below:
In-text reference: ChatGPT4 was used to draft patient interview sheets, which were subsequently reviewed and refined for accuracy and relevance.
Software Name. Version no. Publisher; Year. Accessed Date. URL
APA recommends writers treat the generative AI company as the author of the content you are citing. Below are examples of how you should cite AI within your text and in your reference list.
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).
Format: Generative AI company name. (Year). AI product used to generate content (Month Day version) [Large language model]. Link
Example: OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
The Chicago Manual of Style recommends citing generative AI in a numbered footnote or endnote. Below is an example of a numbered footnote.
Format: #. Text generated by generative AI tool. Date accessed, generative AI tool company. Link to tool used.
Example: 1. Text generated by ChatGPT, March 31, 2023, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com.
MLA does not recommend treating AI as the author of AI-generated content you cite. Instead, start your reference with the text of the prompt that you fed to the generative AI tool. Below are examples of how you should cite AI within your text and in your reference list.
While the green light in The Great Gatsby might be said to chiefly symbolize four main things: optimism, the unattainability of the American dream, greed, and covetousness (“Describe the symbolism”), arguably the most important—the one that ties all four themes together—is greed.
Format: "Prompt or description of prompt" prompt. Name of AI tool used. Day Month version, AI tool creator, Day Month Year used, link.
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.
Source: United World College Changshu
