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Citing Generative AI Content

If you use any AI tools, you must properly acknowledge and reference the use of these tools and their outputs. Before doing so, check with your lecturer to confirm whether AI-generated content is permitted in your assignments. 

Notes: 

  • The information in this guide is subject to change as guidance on referencing AI tools continues to evolve.
  • Refer to APA Style Blog post "How to cite ChatGPT" for further details.

Citing AI-Generated Text

  • When quoting or paraphrasing AI-generated content, include the prompt used and the relevant response.
  • If the AI-generated response is supported by a real source, it is best to cite the original source rather than the AI tool’s interpretation.
  In-text Citation Reference
Format (Author, Year) Author. (Year of the version). Title of software (Version) [Software descriptor]. Publisher. URL
Example When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript). OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Note
  • For full citation, include the full text of the AI-generated response in an appendix if a shareable link to the generated content is not available.
  • Use the creator of the tool as the author.
  • Include the version number as provided by the tool, e.g. (Mar 14 version), (gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18 version). Omit this part if no version information is available.
  • Omit the publisher’s name if it is the same as the author.
  • If the AI tool provides a shareable link to the generated content, include that URL. Otherwise, use the URL of the page where the tool is accessed, not the publisher’s homepage.

Citing AI-Generated Images

Please note that our recommendations for referencing AI-generated images are interim guidance. APA 7 does not provide formal rules for citing AI-generated images. Our guidance is based on existing rules for citing both images and AI-generated text and may change as citation guidelines continue to evolve.

 

How to reference images that you produce using an AI tool

  • To include an AI-generated image in your work, you must provide an acknowledgment. 
  • Add a figure number and a brief title above the image. Below the image, include a caption stating that the image was generated using an AI tool and specify the prompt used. 
  • No reference entry is required for images you create using an AI tool.

 

How to reference AI-generated images reproduced in a published source
If you are reproducing an AI-generated image found in another source (e.g. book, journal article, or website), cite the source where the image was published, not the AI tool used to generate it, and provide a reference entry in the format appropriate for the source you found the figure in. For example, if the image comes from a journal article, cite it in journal article format.