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Artificial Intelligence: A Generative Guide for Researchers

Citing Information Generated by ChatGPT/AI

Check your course syllabus or ask your faculty member about any guidelines for incorporating information generated by AI tools in your papers. If use is permitted, remember to follow the University's Academic Honor Code and cite your sources.

To cite the informational product generated by Gemini, ChatGPT or other AI, it's recommended to include both the specific source (type of AI tool) and the context of the use.

Three examples:

“The author(s) generated this text in part with GPT-3. Upon generating draft language, the author reviewed, edited, and revised the language. I/We take ultimate responsibility for the content.”

“The author(s) declare that this draft was [condensed, summarized, iterated upon, etc.] using [GPT-3 or application name] on [DATE]. I/We take ultimate responsibility for the content. ”

“To develop a framework for this essay, I entered the following prompt into GPT-3 on [DATE]: [PROMPT FED INTO AI]”.

Please remember that if AI connects you to another resource, you need to cite that resource, just as you would in a literature review. 

As for the in-text citation and the Bibliography/Reference/Works Cited item that will follow this description, apply the appropriate Association's suggestions for citing ChatGPT and AI. 

APA Style (7th Edition)

While the  American Psychological Association (APA) has not released official guidelines on citing generative AI quite yet, the recent post on the APA Style Blog provides guidance on citing ChatGPT adaptable to other AI tools. 

In-text example: 

(OpenAI, 2023)

Reference example: 

OpenAI (2023). ChatGPT (May 24 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

Chicago Style (17th Edition)

The Chicago Manual of Style provides guidance for citing ChatGPT and generative AI tools within an online Q&A, such as in this example.   

Note example: 
1. Text generated by ChatGPT, May 24, 2023, OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com/ 
 
Bibliography example
OpenAI. Text generated by ChatGPT, Version GPT-3.5. Accessed May 24, 2023. https://chat.openai.com/chat

MLA Style (9th Edition)

MLA now provides preliminary official guidance for citing information produced by generative AI. According to MLA, writers should not credit the AI as an author. Additionally, the description of the content of the generated product should be treated as the title of the source, as if it were an article or chapter title. 

In-text example:

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.

Works Cited entry 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.