Skip to Main Content

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

About citing AI

Iona libraries are monitoring associations that establish the rules and guidance on citing sources created by generative AI.  This page will be updated as rules and guidance evolve. 

The Research Essentials Guide and the Citing Sources Guide provide additional resources related to plagiarism and citing sources.  

For students: 

Before using ChatGPT or other generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, please check with your professor if you can do so, and if yes, what is permitted for a specific assignment.

If you can use AI tools, evaluate the content carefully and critically. The content may contain incorrect or biased and, therefore, unreliable information. If you are permitted to use AI-generated content, cite the AI generated information following the recommendations listed below. 

Citing Generated Text

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 at:

"How to cite ChatGPT" at https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt 

"APA Policy on the use of generative AI" www.apa.org/pubs/journals/resources/publishing-policies

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

 

The number given to the note corresponds with the number of the superscript. The superscript goes after the punctuation. The first line of the note is indented and subsequent lines flush left.

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

If your professor allows the use of AI, you need to disclose the use of AI tools in one of two ways.

  1. Disclosure in Acknowledgments:
    • Acknowledge the use of AI tools in the manuscript's Acknowledgments section.
    • Include a brief description of when and how the tools were used.
  2. For Substantial Use, Provide Comprehensive Details in the Methods Section:
    • Provide comprehensive information within the Methods section for significant use cases or detailed descriptions of AI tool implementation.
    • Detail how the AI tools were used, what data they processed, and how they influenced your findings or conclusions.

 

Additional information on Artificial Intelligence is found in the "Authorship, Author List, and Coauthor Notification" section of Appendix 1 of the ACS Publications Author Guidelines at 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/

Citing Generated Images

When incorporating an AI-generated image, ensure it comprises two components:

Component 1: A label and caption

  • Start with Fig. followed by a number. For example, Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and so on.
  • The caption incorporates the prompt (or an abbreviated form), the AI tool's name, its version, the date of creation, and a URL (a shareable link to the downloaded image or the general link to the tool used).

Component 2: A citation entry on the works cited page.

  • Use the same information included in the caption.

 

Fig. 1. "A swing on a tree in a meadow in a Fauvist style" prompt, Dalle-E, version 3, OpenAI, 30 April 2023, labs.openai.com/.

 

Works Cited Page:

Format:

"Prompt asked" prompt, Name of AI tool, version of AI tool, Name of company, Date prompt was generated, URL.

Example:

"A swing on a tree in a meadow in a Fauvist style" prompt, Dalle-E, version 2, OpenAI, 30 April 2023, labs.openai.com/.

 

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

APA has not yet issued guidelines for citing AI-generated images. When referencing these images, follow the APA guidelines for citing AI-generated text.

An AI-generated image needs two components:

Component 1: A label and note

  • Above the image
    • Write Figure in bold, followed by a number. For example, Figure 1Figure 2, and so on.
    • Add a title of the image in italics. 
  • Under the picture
    • Write Note. (with a period) in italics with a description of the image and the prompt used to create it.

Component 2: A citation entry on the Reference page.

  • Use the same information included in the caption.

   

Figure 1

AI-generated image of a tree with a swing in a meadow in the Fauvist style

Note. Image generated using Dall-E 3 from the prompt a swing on a tree in a meadow in a Fauvist style.

 

Reference Page

 Format:

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

Example:

OpenAI. (2024) Dall-E (Version 2) [Large language model]. https://labs.openai.com/

An AI-generated image needs two components:

Component 1: A caption under the picture.

  • Place the word Figure below the image, followed by a number and a period.  For example, Figure 1., Figure 2., and so on.
  • Provide a description or explanation of the image.

Component 2: A footnote (nothing is mentioned in the Bibliography).

  • Use the complete prompt or its initial words as the title, attribute the image as "generated by" followed by the tool's company and name, and include the date of image generation.

 

Figure 1. An image created using Dall-E in response to the prompt a swing on a tree in a meadow in a Fauvist style.

 

Footnote

The number given to the note corresponds with the number of the superscript. The superscript goes after the punctuation. The first line of the note is indented, and subsequent lines flush to the left.

Format

           Number. "Prompt," image generated by AI Tool, date image was generated.

Example

           1. "A swing on a tree in a meadow in a Fauvist style," image generated by OpenAI’s Dall-E 2, 30 April 2023.

 

Additional information is found:

On the Citation, Documentation of Sources Q&A page of The Chicago Manual of Style Online at www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Documentation.html?page=2

 

CMOS Illustrations 3.29–37 at https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/book/ed17/part1/ch03/psec029.html

An AI-generated image needs two components:

Component 1: A caption under the picture.

  • Place the word Figure below the image, followed by a number and a period.  For example, Figure 1., Figure 2., and so on.
  • Provide a description or explanation of the image.

Component 2: An acknowledgment (nothing is mentioned on the Reference page).

  • In your written text, mention the tool used and the AI tool used.

 

Figure 1. Image created using Dall-E in response to the prompt a swing on a tree in a meadow in a Fauvist style.

 

In-text

In-text citations using the author-date format are typically not used for citing images. Instead, include the relevant information about the image in a sentence within the text of your paper.

Format

In your written text, acknowledge AI-generated images. When describing the image in your academic work, mention that it was created using artificial intelligence (AI). This acknowledgment helps inform your audience about the technology used to generate the image.

Example

The image of the swing on a tree in a meadow in a Fauvist style was created by DALL-E based on the prompt.

 

Additional information is found:

On the Citation, Documentation of Sources Q&A page of The Chicago Manual of Style Online at www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Documentation.html?page=2

 

CMOS Illustrations 3.29–37 at https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/book/ed17/part1/ch03/psec029.html

If your professor allows the use of AI, you need to disclose the use of AI tools in one of two ways.

  1. Disclosure in Acknowledgments:
    • Acknowledge the use of AI tools in the manuscript's Acknowledgments section.
    • Include a brief description of when and how the tools were used.
  2. For Substantial Use, Provide Comprehensive Details in the Methods Section:
    • Provide comprehensive information within the Methods section for significant use cases or detailed descriptions of AI tool implementation.
    • Detail how the AI tools were used, what data they processed, and how they influenced your findings or conclusions.

 

Additional information on Artificial Intelligence is found in the "Authorship, Author List, and Coauthor Notification" section of Appendix 1 of the ACS Publications Author Guidelines at ACS Author Guidelines.