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Generative AI and Research

Best practices for using AI technology for research

Citing Artificial Intelligence

Since Generative AI creates content like text, images, audio, etc., the generated works cannot be reproduced exactly by someone else using the same tool.

As a best practice, you should acknowledge your use of the generative AI tool in the methods section of your paper, the footnotes/endnotes, and the references/bibliography at the end of your paper.

The examples listed here are for in-text and reference citations. For other types of citation examples in that style, click on the links.


Generative AI - Citation Styles

MLA Style

Template for Works Cited entry:
"Prompt Given to ChatBot" prompt. Title of the AI tool, version of AI tool, Chatbot Publisher, Date content was generated, URL.

Example:
"Describe the symbolism of the severed pig's head in Lord of the Flies by William Golding" prompt. ChatGPT 4o, 21 Aug 2024, OpenAI, 24 Oct 2024, https://chat.openai.com/

In-text citation:
If citing generative AI responses in-text, provide the phrase you are referencing in quotes: (“Describe the symbolism”).

APA Style

Template for References:
Name/Author of the Chatbot/Model. (Year of the version you used). Title of the model (version of the model) [Type of model]. URL.

Example:
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Aug 21 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

In-text citation:
When referencing AI-generated text in APA, cite like so: (OpenAI, 2024).

Chicago Manual of Style

Template for footnote citation:
Text generated by AI Tool, Date, Tool Creator/Owner, URL.

Example for footnote with prompt in text:
Text generated by ChatGPT, Aug 21, 2024, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com/chat.

If the prompt isn't mentioned in the text, include it directly in the footnote:
ChatGPT, response to "explain the significance of the severed pig's head in Lord of the Flies by. William Golding," October 24, 2024, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com/chat.

 

For other ways to cite material, see the University of Queensland Guide: Generative AI Tools for assignments - Citing ChatGPT and Other Generative AI (University of Queensland, Australia)