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Citation Styles

Why do you need to cite when you use AI?

Citing AI tools, like ChatGPT, is important for several reasons:

  • Credibility: Proper citation reinforces the credibility of your work. It shows that you are transparent about your sources and the tools you used to generate or support your content.
  • Transparency: Citing AI tools helps clarify how you arrived at your conclusions or generated your ideas. This transparency builds trust with your readers and allows them to understand your research process.
  • Intellectual Property: Recognizing the contributions of AI tools respects the intellectual property involved in creating the content. This is crucial for upholding ethical research practices.
  • Academic Standards: Many academic institutions and publications require the citation of AI tools to maintain scholarly standards. Following these guidelines ensures that your work meets the expectations of your field.

By citing AI tools, you contribute to a culture of respect and integrity in research and writing.

 

Works Cited

"Why do you need to cite AI?" prompt. Copilot: AI Assistant, Microsoft, 17 Dec. 2024, copilot.microsoft.com.

Do Not Use AI To Create Citations For Sources

AI is not a citation style tool. There are multiple issues with using AI to create citations.


AI tools will often:

  • make up or fabricate citations
  • create incorrect citations
  • refuse to cite themselves

Example:

The prompt used: 'give me an example MLA citation for citing Gemini'

The incorrect MLA citation created by Gemini from that prompt:

"What is Carrie Mae Weems' most influential work and what are its themes?" prompt. Gemini, 8 Feb. 2024 version, Google, 16 Feb. 2024, https://gemini.google.com/app.

Issues with this citation:

  • not italicizing Gemini
  • not using a hanging indent

 

Works Cited

"give me an example MLA citation for citing Gemini" prompt. Gemini, Google, 17 Dec. 2024, gemini.google.com/app.

MLA

From Purdue OWL:

MLA format: “Text of prompt” prompt. AI Tool, Day Month version, Company, Day Month Year, chat.openai.com.

MLA Works Cited entry: “Explain antibiotics” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 16 Feb. 2023, chat.openai.com.

MLA in-text citation: ("Explain antibiotics")

 

Works Cited

"Artificial Intelligence (AI)". Purdue OWL, https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/c.php?g=1371380&p=10135074. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Example:

Prompt: Queer history American frontier, in Perplexity.

MLA citation:

"Queer history American frontier" prompt. Perplexity, Perplexity AI, 17 May 2023, perplexity.ai.

 

Resources for Citing AI in MLA Style

APA

From Purdue OWL:

APA format:  Author. (Date). Title (Month Day version) [Additional Descriptions ]. Source

Author: The author of the model. 

Date: The year of the version. 

Title: The name of the model.The version number is included after the title in parentheses. 

Bracketed text: References for additional descriptions

Source: When the publisher and author names are identical, omit the publisher name in the source element of the reference and proceed directly to the URL.

APA reference entry: OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Feb 13 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com

APA in-text citation: (OpenAI, 2023)

 

Works cited

"Artificial Intelligence (AI)". Purdue OWL, https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/c.php?g=1371380&p=10135074. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Example:

Prompt: Outline an academic paper about the life of Ralph Kerwineo with sources, Copilot

Microsoft. (2024). Copilot [Large language model]. copilot.cloud.microsoft

 

Resources for Citing AI in APA Style

Chicago

From Purdue OWL:

Chicago style recommends citing ChatGPT in a Chicago footnote

1. Text generated by ChatGPT, March 31, 2023, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com.

 

Works Cited

"Artificial Intelligence (AI)". Purdue OWL, https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/c.php?g=1371380&p=10135074. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Example:

Prompt: Cross-dressing in the wild west with sources, Gemini.

1. Text generated by Gemini, Dec. 18, 2024, Google, gemini.google.com.

 

Resources for Citing AI in Chicago Style