Note: Never assume you have permission to use Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Check your course syllabus or discuss with your instructor before using GenAI for any assignment.
Because GenAI is relatively new, the guidelines for citing GenAI are likely to evolve quickly. Always defer to your instructor regarding citation. If your instructor asks that GenAI be cited differently than what is provided below, be sure to follow your instructor's request!
Like any resource you take information from, you should cite GenAI when you use it. Be cautious when citing information gathered from GenAI, however, as these tools are known to hallucinate and plagiarize information (see Limitations of AI for more details).
The tabs above provide citing recommendations from the main citation styles used at NWP. Note that your instructor may ask that a disclaimer be included on the title page describing how GenAI was used for the completion of the assignment.
For more general citation information, be sure to check out our Citation Guides.
The APA Style blog published a post describing their recommendations for citing GenAI (updated in February 2024). This post was geared toward those who used GenAI to write a part of a text (vs. an entire paper, which you should avoid doing). The main takeaways are as follows:
If possible, include in your text a description of how you used a GenAI tool or the prompt that you used to get a particular output.
When prompted with the question "What are the limitation of ChatGPT?" ChatGPT responded with a list of eight limitations, including "inability to reason," "tendency to generate unreliable information," and "limited world knowledge" (OpenAI, 2023).
For your reference list entry, follow the format for a piece of software (Chapter 10 section 10 of the APA 7th edition manual):
Author/Group. (year of version). Title of Tool (Version if applicable) [Description of tool]. Source/URL
E.g., OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (February 10 version) [Large language model]. URL
Note that due to the frequent, small updates to ChatGPT, we recommend that for the "Version" you use the day that you used ChatGPT.
It is also advisable to include a copy of the full text or discussion in an appendix (make sure to refer to content in the appendix IN your text)
MLAThe MLA Style Center posted their recommendations for citing GenAI in a 2023 post. The highlight of the post is that the format easily adapts to the MLA core-elements template, with the notes below:
The tool is not the author. Following MLA guidelines for no-author sources, this means the Works Cited entry for a GenAI will begin with the "Title."
The “Title of Source” in this case is a description of the output (content) created by the GenAI.
The "Title of Container" is the AI tool used.
The "Version" is the version of the AI tool in the most specific form you can find (e.g. ChatGPT 3.5 or ChatGPT 4.0).
The "Publisher" is the company that created the AI
The "Date" is the date you generated the content (or interacted with the AI to get the output you are citing)
The "Location" is the URL
You can use outside tools like ShareGPT to share a permalink (or unique URL) for that content
An example of the recommendations would look like:
“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, URL.
The Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (CMOS 18) includes a section on citing GenAi (section 14.112).
If an author relies on AI for the content of their essay, CMOS 18 requires that the author clearly state how the AI tool was used -either in the text, a preface, or similar section. The AI source does not need to be included in the bibliography or reference list, but there must be an in-text citation (similar to a personal communication or social media post).
Note that unless you use a browser extension like ShareGPT or A.I.Archives, to create a public link (similar to a permalink or DOI) do not include a URL, as the URL for a chat is not retrievable for those with a different account.
The following examples illustrate how GenAi might be cited in an essay following the Chicago Manual of Style.
4. Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, December 9, 2023, www.Public-URL.ca
5. Response to “Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients,” ChatGPT-3.5, OpenAI, December 9, 2023, edited for style and accuracy
The following recipe for pizza dough was generated on December 9, 2023, by ChatGPT-3.5.
As mentioned above, GenAi does not need to have an entry in the bibliography, however, if your instructor requests that you include the GenAi in the bibliography, the entry is listed under the publisher or developer (vs the name of the tool).
Google. Response to "How many copy editors does it take to fix a book-length manuscript?" Gemini 1.0, February 10, 2024. www. Public-URL.com
An increasing practice in the writing world (in and outside of academia) is the inclusion of a declaration of AI use, which is a short paragraph included at the beginning or the end of a document.
Your instructor might require you to include a declaration of GenAI use as part of your essay if GenAI is permitted for the assignment. The purpose of acknowledging your use of GenAI is to promote transparency, maintain your intellectual integrity, and encourage critical thinking on you use of GenAI. An AI use disclosure can also serve as a reminder for yourself that if you use GenAI, you take responsibility for the accuracy of the information. If GenAI is wrong, you take on any repercussions for GenAI's inaccuracy (i.e. "but ChatGPT said so!" will not excuse instances of misinformation or plagiarism).
Below is a list of some key components that you may be asked to include in a declaration of AI use. Always read the guidelines for each assignment carefully. Not all assignments will require a declaration, and some assignments may require additional information. Ensure you modify the list below accordingly.
E.g. Chat GPT 4.0 by Open AI, Claude 3.5 Sonnet by Anthropic
E.g. clarifying a complex topic, narrowing a research question, summarizing an unfamiliar issue, suggesting an outline
E.g. I used the prompt "List five causes of World War One and provide a brief description"
Note: you may also be asked to include screen shots or public links to the output generated by the AI tool
This is essential if you used GenAI to find articles
E.g.
I used the Learning Commons databases to find articles that supported Chat GPT's claim that the alliance system was a cause of World War One.
I searched for the articles suggested by ChatGPT in the Learning Commons databases to ensure they existed and read them myself.
E.g.
I used Chat GPT's output to give me a starting point in my research.
I adapted Chat GPT's suggested outline to fit the assignment requirements and better fit the information I collected during my research.
I used Chat GPT's to reduce wordiness in paragraph 2, and used insights from Chat GPT's feedback to help edit my other paragraphs.
E.g.
The output did not impact my thinking on this topic.
The output helped me understand the other side of the argument, and I ultimately took up that position.
[This list was adapted from Wiley AI Guidelines for authors and Write What Matters "Acknowledging and Citing AI in Academic Work" advice for students.]
[From Write What Matters "Acknowledging and Citing AI in Academic Work" advice for students]
Note: You may have to modify this template to adhere to your instructor's guidelines
I acknowledge the use of [insert AI system(s) and link] to [specific use of generative artificial intelligence]. The prompts used include [list of prompts]. The output from these prompts was used to [explain use].
1. [From Write What Matters "Acknowledging and Citing AI in Academic Work" advice for students]
For this essay, I used Chat GPT as a resource to give me a summary of the feminist and queer theory analysis lens, "Feminist queer theory is a critical analysis lens that combines feminist theory and queer theory to examine how gender and sexuality intersect and shape social power dynamics. This approach challenges the dominant cultural norms that promote heteronormativity , gender binary, and patriarchy, which result in marginalizing individuals who do not conform to norms." With this, it helped me better understand the material so I could write better essays. This information was accessed on May 6th, 2023.
2. [From Wiley AI Guidelines for authors]
Portions of this text were drafted with assistance from Claude 3.5 Sonnet by Anthropic. This AI tool helped organize my ideas, suggest alternative phrasing for complex concepts, and improve clarity and conciseness throughout the writing process. All AI-generated content was carefully reviewed, edited, and approved. The final analysis, conclusions, and interpretations represent my views and expertise. I take full responsibility for the content and accuracy of this work.
Writing can be a messy, recursive process, and it is therefore useful to create a system to track your use of GenAI. That way you have documentation to show (and to remind yourself) how and where you used GenAI tools throughout the writing process -even if you don't use everything in your final product.
Below is a list of things that are useful to track (adapted from Wiley AI Guidelines). Make sure you read your assignment guidelines carefully and adapt the information you track to suit the assignment requirements.
Keeping track of this information each time you use GenAI will help you create a declaration of GenAI use if your instructor requires it, and help you stay mindful about how you are using GenAI. You can always modify what information you track to suit each individual assignment.
This blog post discusses some used for GenAI in academic writing and some suggestions for citing and providing an acknowledgement statement.
Note: Never assume your instructor permits the use of GenAI tools, and DO NOT USE unless you have explicit permission to do so.