AI at RUC: Citation of AI generated material

CITATION OF GENERATIVE AI

When you use generative AI in your studies, it is important to approach its use critically and reflectively. Be aware of the limitations of AI models and evaluate the information they provide carefully. Below we have compiled some key points you should consider in your academic work with AI.

WHY IS GENERATIVE AI NOT A SOURCE?

GenAI is not a source in itself:

• Generative AI models do not create new knowledge or document original events. Information from Generative AI should not be used as the sole source in academic work.
• AI models often provide answers in the form of synthesized text, i.e., responses based on a summary of information from multiple sources. It is important to verify this information with reliable, original sources. Check the sources in the library system to ensure their validity.

How GenAI works:

• Training data: Generative AI models are built on large amounts of training data, which may contain both reliable and unreliable sources. It is not transparent which sources the models base their answers on.
• Mixed sources: The generated content is a blend of many different sources and data, which cannot be traced back.
• Probable answers: AI reduces knowledge to probable answers based on training data.
• Politically imposed limitations: AI models may be subject to politically driven restrictions, which can affect the information they provide. Be aware of this possibility and critically assess the reliability of the information.

High Risk of errors:

• With Generative AI, there is a possibility of incorrect information, loss of nuance, and lack of context. There may be bias from training data and politically driven limitations, so be critical of the information you are presented with.
• Unreliable sources may be weighted as highly as high-quality sources. Make sure to use and cite reliable and recognized sources in your academic work.

HOW CAN I CITE TEXT GENERATED BY GENERATIVE AI?

You should avoid copy-pasting text directly into your assignment. As far as possible, you should work further with AI output, rewrite and edit text as well as content, so you remain the author and continue to be responsible for the content of your assignment. If, for example, you use Copilot or ChatGPT to generate material or text that you use unedited and copy-paste into your project, you must clearly mark all of it as a direct quotation and provide a citation. Different citation formats have different approaches to referencing generative AI. In this libguide, you will find some of the most common methods.

AI AS SOFTWARE

APA suggests citing text from generative AI as software. Chatbot responses are not considered personal communication since there is no individual behind them. They are more akin to algorithm outputs, and therefore, there should be a reference both in the bibliography and in the text with the origin of the chatbot – in the case of ChatGPT, it is OpenAI. APA also encourages documenting the chat in an appendix or accessible supplementary material.

In-text citation example: “(OpenAI, 2024).”

Example of the reference in the bibliography: OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (3,5 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

Read more about how to cite ChatGPT and generative AI from APA.

AI AS PERSONAL COMMUNICATION

In the Chicago format, AI-generated text is considered a form of personal communication, similar to emails, etc., because the generated conversation is not immediately accessible. It is recommended to describe the chatbot prompt either in the text or as part of the reference. Since a reader cannot access the information independently, the chatbot should NOT appear in the bibliography. Only references in the text are needed. In this case, it might be useful to refer to an appendix with a log of the chatbot conversation.

Example note format: 1. ChatGPT, response to "How to create source citations?," January 7, 2024, OpenAI.

Example author-date format: (ChatGPT, Januray 7, 2024)

Read more at Chicago Manual of Style.

PROMPTS IN THE REFERENCE

In MLA format, the reference follows a standardized structure, where:

Author: It is not recommended to set AI as the author.

Title of the Source: The title is a description of what the AI generated, e.g., based on the prompt.

Repository Name: This is where the material is found and is used to specify the name of the AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT).

Version: Specify which version of the AI tool the text was generated with, possibly including a version date, as in the example below.

Publisher: Write the name of the company that created the AI used (e.g., OpenAI).

Date: The date the text was generated.

Location: Provide the URL for the text – be aware that the last part of the URL might be replaced with "chat" since the specific chat cannot be accessed by others.

Example in-text citation: ("In 200 words")

Example bibliography entry: "In 200 words Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald" prompt. ChatGPT, 3.5 version, OpenAI, 7 Jan. 2024, chat.openai.com/chat.

Read more at MLA's styleguide.

If you have visual material created via generative AI in your work, you should add a caption describing the source. Read more at MLAs guide on citing generative AI and images. 

Vancouver: University of Newcastle Library [Australia]. (n.d.). Vancouver Referencing Style: Personal comm—Generative AI. University of Newcastle Library Guides. Retrieved 3 May 2023. Link.

Murdoch University Library. (n.d.). Vancouver—Referencing Guide: AI Generated Content [Library guide]. Murdoch University Library. Retrieved 17 August 2023. Link. 

NLM: Patrias, K. (2007). Citing Medicine (2nd ed.). National Library of Medicine (US). Link. 

Still confused about references, quotes, and other sources? Read more in our libguide on reference management.