Thank you for visiting this informational page about citing the use of generative AI* outputs. Your thoughtful consideration of this subject is appreciated.
Please make sure that you understand your instructors' policies about the use of generative AI (genAI) in your course work. If you don't know what their policies are, please ask them. You are also encouraged to ask your instructors to establish a policy about the use of genAI into their syllabi if you cannot find one there.
*includes, but is not limited to ChatGPT, DALL-E, CoPilot, Claude, Midjourney
A: There is no "common" citation style for genAI outputs. Prompt the genAI tool you are using for guidelines on how to cite their outputs. See boxes below for examples.
A: If you use the outputs of more than one genAI tool in a single assignment, please adopt just one genAI citation style within that assignment so that you are consistent. It doesn't matter which genAI's citation style you choose - just pick one style and stick with it!
A: If you are required to use a formal citation style in an assignment, use that style to make citations for genAI outputs. See the links below for information about how to cite genAI outputs in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.
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, while also adapting it to your personal citation preferences:
Suggested Citation Format:
Example Citation Format:
Basic Structure:
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:
Key Considerations for Your Style:
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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Citations for the output above:
Full reference:
OpenAI. ChatGPT response. January 22, 2025. ChatGPT interface.
In-text:
(OpenAI, 2025)
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:
If you're using my responses for anything important, I recommend:
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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)
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.
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