Plagiarism
How to Cite AI as a Source + 6 Tips for Using and Citing AI
Learn how to cite AI sources like ChatGPT using MLA, APA, and other citation styles. Includes best practices in using AI in both research and writing
AI has become increasingly interwoven in our daily lives, not just in terms of the tools we use, but also in our research, writing, and publishing.
Every day, millions of people use AI tools. In August 2024, The Verge reported that ChatGPT now has 200 million weekly visitors.
AI tools have applications for everything from writing code to generating text and creating images.
The real question is, if you’re using AI, how do you cite it?
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll learn in this article:
Citing AI with APA style depends on whether or not the conversation is generally available or if it’s considered personal communication.
If it falls under personal communication, you’d format it as follows for an in-text citation:
(OpenAI, personal communication, November 13, 2024)
You also wouldn’t include it in the reference list. According to the APA Style Guide, personal communications aren’t cited in a reference list, because the reader wouldn’t be able to replicate or see the exact personal communication.
Source: APA Style Guide on Personal Communications
However, the APA Style Guide notes that if you include the text generation output within an appendix, you can include a citation both within the text and in the reference list.
Within the text, you could include an in-text citation such as:
(OpenAI, 2024; see Appendix for a complete transcript).
Then, in the reference list, you’d cite it as follows:
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Date of version e.g. Nov. 18 version) [Large language model].
https://chat.openai.com/chat
Source: APA Style Guide
If, on the other hand, you’re citing something about AI that can be openly accessed (like its software functionality), you’d need to add it to the reference list and cite it in the text like this:
(OpenAI, 2024)
While adding it to your reference list like this:
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Date of version e.g. Nov. 18 version) [Large language model].
https://chat.openai.com/chat
Source: APA Style Guide
MLA suggests including the company, the name of the tool itself, and the version as well as the date when you accessed it.
An in-text citation would look like this:شؤؤ
(“Text from prompt”)
On your works cited page, you’d format it like this:
“Text from prompt” prompt. ChatGPT, Date. version (e.g. 15 Nov. version), OpenAI. Date
Accessed (e.g. 18 Nov. 2024), chat.openai.com/chat.
Don’t forget to italicize the name of the software program (in this example it’s ChatGPT). If you want to reference the version of ChatGPT, like version 4o for example, you can add it after the title.
Sources: MLA Style Center on Generative AI and Purdue University
Chicago style guides recommend referencing it in your footnotes, you can format it like this:
Alternatively, if footnotes are not used and the author-date system is being used then the in-text citation would look something like this:
(ChatGPT, Date e.g. November 18, 2024)
As part of your bibliography, it would only appear if you can produce a shareable public link, which references the exact prompt text. The link to a ChatGPT chat doesn’t work here because it won’t be publicly accessible.
Sources: Chicago Manual of Style and Purdue University
*Note: the Chicago Manual of Style article recommends placing the date after the company name (OpenAI in this example), while Purdue university advises placing the date before the company name.
IEEE allows you to cite AI just as you would with any other software program. You’d create an in-text citation like this: [1] while your reference list would show the following:
[1] ChatGPT. (GPT-4o). OpenAI. Accessed: Date (e.g. Nov. 18, 2024). [Online]. Available: https://chat.openai.com/chat
Source: University of Michigan Library Guides
You may have other specific instructions on how to cite AI based on guidance from your professor, institution, or journal. Be sure to follow those first and foremost when it comes to formatting your document.
Keep in mind that guidance on how to cite AI is always changing, so it’s a good idea to review each citation style guide for the most recent information if you’re preparing a document for publication.
Now that you know how to cite AI, it’s a good idea to keep in mind certain points in terms of how to use AI more effectively as a tool.
Check out these tips on how to use AI ethically and transparently.
AI is crafting responses based on its training and the massive datasets it has pulled information from. So, it’s generating its response based on patterns.
With this in mind, it’s important to note that it can sometimes produce “facts” and figures that are anything but accurate, known as AI hallucinations.
It’s always a good idea, as a matter of polishing your final work, to check and verify facts, whether you’re editing AI content or human-written content.
Using a free tool like Originality.ai’s Automated Fact Checker can help cross-verify information with additional sources.
AI can help with generating ideas, research, editing, and even structuring drafts. With this in mind, it’s smart to be transparent and open about how you use it.
For example, if AI helped you draft the structure of your essay, you should mention that in your work. Transparency is a best practice that establishes and maintains integrity.
Further, if you’re planning on using AI for an assignment, always review the assignment and institution guidelines to learn about whether AI is permitted before you start.
Learn more about AI detection in colleges and universities.
AI is pulling from a considerable amount of existing data and patterns. You want to be especially careful to review information carefully and provide citations to information where needed to avoid accidental plagiarism.
When in doubt, always provide proper attribution.
Learn more about the types of plagiarism and try the Originality.ai Plagiarism Checker.
Some organizations have different directions on how to cite AI depending on if your interaction with it was personal or more generalized.
Keep in mind that if you’re citing AI directly (for example, it generated specific phrasing or insights based on your questions), you should treat it as if it were a regular direct quote.
When you paraphrase content, you still have to cite it since it clarifies the source of the information.
It’s also important to be mindful if you’re working with confidential or sensitive user data. AI tools may track conversations or chats to help further refine and train their responses.
If you’re working with specialized data or information that’s private or confidential, make sure you’re abiding by the terms of the AI tool, company policies, and regional data privacy laws.
AI has expanded from purely a tool used by software engineers and data analysts to a much more common and integral part of our lives.
Even if you’re only using it to help you research or study, being able to properly cite AI’s contribution to your work is a sign of academic professionalism, and most of all, to publishing with integrity.
Learn more about AI, Citations, and Plagiarism Detection: