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Citing Sources Guide

Iona University Libraries Research Guide on Citing Source

Citing Artificial Intelligence Generated Content

If your professor permits the use of AI, you need to create a reference and use in-text citations when quoting or paraphrasing AI-generated information.

Format:

"Title of posed request" prompt. Name of AI tool, version of AI tool, Name of company, Date prompt was generated, URL.

Example:

"Describe how Animal Farm is an allegory" prompt. ChatGPT, 5 May version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

MLA Style guidance:

  • Cite all quotes and paraphrased information generated by AI that you include in your writing
  • Add an acknowledgment if you use AI to edit your writing
  • Evaluate all sources suggested by AI

Core Elements:

  • Author: Do not use AI as an author
  • Title of Source: Use the prompt you entered in the AI tool
  • Title of Container: Name of AI tool
  • Version: Version of the AI tool
  • Publisher: Company or creator of the AI tool
  • Date: Date the content was generated
  • Location: If your generated response is retrievable, use that URL; otherwise, use the general URL of the tool

Additional examples are available from the MLA Style at https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/ 

If your professor permits the use of AI, create a reference and use in-text citations per APA Style guidelines when quoting or paraphrasing AI-generated information.

Due to the non-retrievability of some AI output, APA recommends that a copy of both the response and prompt be appended. Since AI may not reproduce responses and they cannot be retrieved, it is essential to include the precise text for transparency and reproducibility.

  • APA suggests detailing your usage of AI in your "Methods" section of a research paper or your "Introduction" when writing an essay.

Example of a statement within the paper's body:
Generated text was produced on February 13, 2023, using ChatGPT software (https://chat.openai.com/chat) and the prompt "Summarize the plot of A Christmas Carol in the style of H. P. Lovecraft."

Reference Format:

Name of the AI Model. (Year of the Version used). Name of the Model (Version number) [Large language model]. URL

Example:

OpenAI. (2023) ChatGPT (March 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

In-Text Citation:

An in-text citation is needed when paraphrasing, quoting, or providing the full-text response from ChatGPT in the paper.

Example:

(OpenAI, 2023)

 

APA Style guidance:

Author: AI tool used

Date: Year of the version used

Title: Model of the AI tool used

Version: Version of the AI tool 

Bracketed text: Descriptor. Use square brackets for peer-reviewed material. Review how the AI companies describe their models.

URL: If your generated response is retrievable, use that URL; otherwise, use the general URL of the tool

 

APA Style provides additional guidance on "How to cite ChatGPT" at https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt.

If your professor permits the use of AI, Chicago style requires that you credit AI-generated material with a footnote but do not include it on the bibliography page.

How you cite generative AI depends on whether you've included the prompt in your paper's text. If the prompt is already in your paper, you do not need to repeat it in the citation.

  • Note: If the URL requires a password for retrieval, it is considered non-essential and can be omitted from the citation

 

Notes example of Prompt included in the paper:

1. Text generated by ChatGPT, March 7, 2023, OpenAI .https://chat.openai.com/chat.

 

Notes example of Prompt not included in the paper:

1. ChatGPT, response to “Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients,” March 7, 2023, OpenAI.

 

Additional information on artificial intelligence is found on the Style Q&A page of The Chicago Manual of Style Online at chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Documentation/faq0422.html

If your professor permits the use of AI, Chicago requires that you credit AI-generated material with an in-text citation but do not include it on the reference page.

 

In-text citation example:

(ChatGPT, May 4, 2023)

 

Additional information on artificial intelligence is found on the Style Q&A page of The Chicago Manual of Style Online at chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Documentation/faq0422.html

ACS guidelines do not permit the use of AI tools.

ACS Author Guidelines

If your professor permits the use of AI, CSE recommends treating AI-generated content as personal communication.

- Cite personal communication in-text only, NOT in the References section.
- Include a description of the content created or edited, the name of the language model or tool, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer.

 

Example:

"I explored the capabilities of ChatGPT by requesting it to 'generate a fictional creature' (ChatGPT [OpenAI], personal communication, 10 May 2023)."

 

CSE Editors guidance:

- AI tools should not be listed as authors because they cannot be responsible or accountable for the work's accuracy, integrity, and originality.
- Authors should disclose their use of AI tools in submissions.
- Human authors must be accountable for all aspects of the manuscript, including AI-assisted content accuracy, absence of plagiarism, and proper attribution of sources.

 

Additional information on artificial intelligence is found on the CSE Guidance on Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Tools page of the Science Editor at https://www.csescienceeditor.org/article/cse-guidance-on-machine-learning-and-artificial-intelligence-tools/.

If your professor permits the integration of AI, it's important to uphold transparency regarding its utilization.

When using AI-generated content like images from DALL-E 2, transparency is crucial for ethical research and citation. When citing DALL-E 2 images, clearly state: 'This image was generated with the assistance of OpenAI's DALL-E 2.' For complete transparency, include details about the prompt used to create the image. Remember to consult specific citation style guides for additional image crediting requirements.

When citing an image generated by DALL·E in your work, use wording such as:
- "This image was created with the assistance of DALL·E 2."
- "This image was generated with the assistance of AI."

Refer to the guidelines provided by OpenAI for proper citation of DALL·E, accessible in the article titled "How Should I Credit DALL·E in My Work?" on the OpenAI website. help.openai.com/en/articles/6640875-how-should-i-credit-dall-e-in-my-work

Ensure that you credit DALL·E as you would any other image source.

Include specific details about the image, such as the prompt used to generate it, along with the acknowledgment of DALL·E. For example:
- "A modern office rendered as a cubist painting," image generated by OpenAI's DALL·E 2, March 5, 2023.

Reference additional guidelines on crediting sources for images for each particular citation style.

By following these instructions, you can ensure proper acknowledgment and citation of DALL·E in your research or creative works.