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Before you use an sort of generative AI tool for your course or assignments, it is extremely important that you consult with your professors and/or consult your syllabi for policies regarding the use of AI. Although some instructors may embrace these new technology tools and may even design assignments specifically around learning to use generative AI and encourage students to use these tools, other instructors may not want any use of generative AI for their classes or assignments.
Generative AI is supposed to function as a tool/assistant and not to generate a full assignment, answers to quizzes, complete research papers, etc. Doing so without clear instructor approval may result in a violation of the academic polices regarding cheating and plagiarism.
Remember, when in doubt, consult with your instructor and/or syllabus!
Please note that citation styles are still figuring out how to cite AI tools appropriately and as AI tools change and evolve so will the guides on how to cite them. In short, these citation recommendations are subject to change.
Do you have permission to use AI in this course?
MLA Format: "Description of chat" prompt. Name of AI tool, version of AI tool, Company, Date of chat, URL.
Author: MLA does not consider the AI tool as the author.
Title of Source: Description of what was generated by AI tool. In other words, the prompt that was used.
Title of Container: Name of the AI tool used.
Version: Name the version of the AI tool as specifically as possible.
Publisher: Name of company that made AI tool (ex. OpenAI is the publisher of ChatGPT).
Date: Date the content was generated. (Day Month Year format [ex: 28 Oct 2024])
Location: General URL of AI tool.
In-text:
When prompted "How can a growth mindset help college students," the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that "A growth mindset helps college students improve academically, stay resilient, manage stress, engage more deeply in learning, and build lifelong skills by viewing challenges as opportunities for growth" ("How can a growth mindset").
Entry in reference list:
"How can a growth mindset help college students" prompt. ChatGPT, 28 Oct. version, OpenAI, 28 Oct. 2024, chatgpt.com
APA Format: Author. (Date). Name of tool (Version of tool) [Large language model]. URL
Author: APA citation style considers the AI tool publisher as the author. For example, if citing ChatGPT, OpenAI would be the author as they are the company that created ChatGPT.
Date: The year of the version you used
Title: The name of the AI tool used. The version number is included after the title in parentheses.
Bracketed text: References for additional descriptions. In this case of text based generative AI, APA recommends the descriptor "Large language model" in the brackets.
Source: The is the URL. Use a URL that links directly as possible to the tool
In-text:
When prompted "How can a growth mindset help college students," the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that "A growth mindset helps college students improve academically, stay resilient, manage stress, engage more deeply in learning, and build lifelong skills by viewing challenges as opportunities for growth" (OpenAI, 2024).
Entry in reference list:
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Oct 24 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Chicago Style views generative AI tool as the author of content. This style stresses the importance of either an informal citation of Generative AI in your text or a footnote with a more formal version of a citation.
Footnotes or Endnotes
General Format
Number: Footnote or endnote number based on its sequence in the body of your text
Author: Name and version of AI tool
Publisher: Developer of AI tool
Date: Date content was generated, Month Day, Year
URL: This tells us where the AI tool can be found.
Examples:
With prompt
Without prompt
Author-Date
For author-date citations, include any additional information in parentheses within the text.
Example: (ChatGPT, November 4, 2024).
To sum things up, you have to credit the AI tool when you reproduce the output of the tool in your own work but that information should be put in the text or in a note—not in a bibliography or reference list. Other AI-generated text can be cited similarly.