Tacoma Community College Library: Citing sources: Citing Generative AI (ChatGPT and many others)

AI: Understand your instructors' policies

Generative AI: Understand Your Instructors' Policies

Thank you for visiting this informational page about citing the use of generative AI* outputs. Your thoughtful consideration of this subject is important to your growth and success as a student.

Please make sure that you understand your instructors' policies about the use of generative AI (genAI) in your coursework. If you don't know what their policies are, it is your responsibility to ask them. You are also encouraged to ask your instructors to discuss and establish a policy about the use of genAI into their syllabi if you cannot find one there.

To meet academic integrity standards, use of any generative AI that contributes content to your graded or assessed work requires citation.
GenAI outputs are not "sources." Sources are a person, thing, or place that can be specifically attributed (cited) and found by your readers. These criteria do not apply to genAI outputs. Generally, use of genAI in your work should be limited to your use of it as a tool or method, unless your instructor or assignment directs otherwise.
Please contact a TCC Librarian or the TCC Writing and Tutoring Center for help in deciding when, how, and where genAI can be used to support your coursework ethically, appropriately, and effectively.

*includes, but is not limited to ChatGPT, DALL-E, CoPilot, Claude, Midjourney

Informal Citation and Formal Citation

Below are three resources for citing use of genAI.

Informal: Citation examples from ChatGPT by OpenAI, and Claude by Anthropic
Formal: Citation style guidelines from APA, MLA, Chicago

Note: If your assignment directs you to cite using APA, MLA, or Chicago style, you must cite your use of genAI using APA, MLA, or Chicago guidelines, rather than using citation examples from the genAI you are using. Ask your instructor if it is unclear.

General citation tip: Whatever citation style you use, use only that style, and be consistent in your formatting throughout your paper or other project.

Formal citation styles, APA. MLA, & Chicago

If you are required to use a formal citation style in your work, APA, MLA, and Chicago have some guidelines for writing citations for genAI outputs, or application of outputs.

Included here is also the TCC Library Quick Guide to citing outputs and use of generative AI.

APA Style Blog: How to cite ChatGPT
The author of this APA blog post names ChatGPT specifically, but the guildelines can be applied to any generative AI tool. Reading the blog post in full will provide you with a deeper understanding of why, when, and how to use and cite generative AI in academic (college) work.
Ask the MLA: How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?
As with all of these formal citation styles, there is no simple one-size-fits-all answer to this question, in part because in formal writing it is not recommended that you use genAI outputs as sources of information, but as tools. Reading the entire article here will not only help you cite in MLA, but help you understand the context of how to cite.
Chicago Manual of Style Q&A: How do you recommend citing content developed or generated by artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT?
Like the information from the APA and MLA, the folks at Chicago give you some background information and note like the others that generative AI should be used and cited as a tool rather than as a source of information. Read their article to understand more!

OpenAI's ChatGPT

In response the the prompt: What is your advice for citing ChatGPT outputs?:

If you're creating your own citation style for ChatGPT outputs, it’s important to ensure that the format is clear and consistent while providing the necessary information. Below is a general structure you could follow for citing ChatGPT responses.

Suggested Citation Format:

Author: OpenAI (as the creator of ChatGPT).
Date of Response: Include the specific date of the ChatGPT interaction to give context.
Content Type: Indicate that the source is an AI-generated response (e.g., “ChatGPT response” or "AI output").
Medium/Platform: Mention the platform through which you accessed the model.
URL or Access Information: If relevant or applicable, include the URL or specify the platform or software where the model was accessed.

Example Citation Format:

Basic Structure:

Author: OpenAI
Date: January 22, 2025
Content Type: ChatGPT output
Platform: ChatGPT API (or specific platform name)
Access: (URL, or platform description, if available)

Example: OpenAI. ChatGPT response. January 22, 2025. ChatGPT interface.

In-Text Citation:

You could adapt your in-text citation similarly, keeping it simple but informative. For example:

(OpenAI, 2025)
(OpenAI, ChatGPT output, 2025)

By establishing this consistent approach, you’ll help readers understand that the source is an AI-generated response and provide the necessary details to locate the source (where possible).

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GenAI recommended citations for the output above:

Full reference:

OpenAI. ChatGPT response. January 22, 2025. ChatGPT interface.

In-text:

(OpenAI, 2025)

Anthropic's Claude

In response the the prompt: What is your advice for citing Claude outputs?

Here's my guidance for citing outputs from me (Claude):

Since I'm an AI system, the most appropriate citation format would be similar to how you'd cite software or other digital tools. I recommend following these guidelines:

In-text citation example: "[specific quote or content]" (Claude 3.5 Sonnet, 2024)

Reference list example: Anthropic. (2024). Claude 3.5 Sonnet [Large language model]. Retrieved [date] from conversation with Claude.

A few important notes:

Always mention that the source is an AI system in your writing for transparency
Keep in mind that my outputs can vary even for the same prompt
I cannot verify the factual accuracy of my responses with full certainty
For academic work, check your institution's specific guidelines on citing AI tools

If you're using my responses for anything important, I recommend:

Fact-checking any factual claims independently
Saving the full conversation for reference
Being transparent about the use of AI assistance

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GenAI recommended citations for the output above:

Full reference:

Anthropic. (2024). Claude 3.5 Sonnet [Large language model]. Retrieved January 22, 2025 from conversation with Claude.

In-text:

(Anthropic, 2024)

Disclosure: Notes and Footnotes

Use of GenAI as a Tool or Method

It is important to disclose your use of generative AI for any assigned work where your use of a genAI contributed significant support for your work*. For example, if you used generative AI to produce a set of slides for a presentation, or a chart in your paper, it is important to disclose this to your audience.

You can do this in the form of a footnote, a note, or even on a separate Appendix page at the end of a paper or presentation.

Example:

Note: The content on each slide of this presentation is my own authentic work. The set of slides used to present this content was generated by Google Gemini.

*Note: Graded vs. ungraded use of genAI: Only use genAI to support aspects of your work that are not graded components of an assignment. For example, if you are to develop an outline for a research paper, turn it in, and receive a grade for that outline, it is probably not appropriate to use generative AI to produce the outline. If your research paper does not include an outline as a part of your graded work to turn in, it is probably ok to prompt a genAI tool to produce an outline that you would then edit and follow to do your own research, and your own writing. (You are encouraged to note that you used a genAI tool to produce your outline; transparency is always ethical and appreciated.) As always, ask your instructor if you are not sure.