Citing Sources

At UGA, the default rule is that students are not permitted to use AI in their coursework unless it is explicitly authorized by the course instructor.

Before using AI tools like ChatGPT in any coursework:

• Ask your instructor if AI use is allowed for each assignment.
• Do not assume AI-generated content is permitted or acceptable without explicit approval.

Unauthorized or undisclosed use of AI may be considered a violation of academic integrity policies.

AI-generated content raises several concerns:

• Accuracy Issues: AI tools may produce false or misleading information.
• Fake Citations: AI can fabricate sources that do not exist or misquote real ones.
• Ethical Questions: AI may reproduce others' intellectual property without proper attribution.

Always verify AI-generated information before including it in academic work.

You should cite or acknowledge the use of an AI tool if it contributed to your work in any of the following ways:

• Gathering background information
• Generating or drafting text
• Editing or rewriting content
• Suggesting structure or organization
• Synthesizing ideas or drawing connections
• Translating or summarizing content
• Processing, cleaning, or manipulating data

Citation practices for generative AI are still evolving. Currently, APA, MLA, and Chicago recommend treating most AI-generated content as non-recoverable personal communication, since it cannot be retrieved or verified by others after generation.

Specific Styles

• APA Style: Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models
• MLA Style: How do I cite generative AI?
• Chicago Style: Citing content from AI
• AMA Style: AMA does not recommend citing generative AI as an author as it does not "qualify for authorship" (doi:10.1001/jama.2023.1344). Instead, they advise authors to describe their use of large language models (LLMs) and chatbots in the text. 

Basic Citation Elements (Any Style)

When citing AI-generated content, include:

• Tool name and version (e.g., ChatGPT 3.5)
• Company/Publisher (e.g., OpenAI)
• Prompt used
• Date of interaction
• Full or summarized response
• URL of the tool
• Your name (as the user interacting with the tool)

Depending on the citation style and assignment guidelines, this information may go in:

• The body of the paper (in-text citation or footnote)
• The reference list or works cited
• The acknowledgments section

We cite sources to (1) give credit and (2) help others locate and verify our sources. These same principles apply to AI-generated content.

• Disclose all use of AI tools, even for idea generation, translation, or editing.
• Be transparent about how the tool contributed to your work.
• Never cite a source provided by AI unless you have personally found and verified that source.
• Include a note in your work when unsure of how to cite — transparency is better than omission.

For more information about AI tools and how to use them effectively and responsibly, please see our guide to AI Literacy.