Citation Style Guides and Management Tools

At this moment in time, there are no official guidelines or standards for citing or disclosing use of AI in research. The information below provides suggestions on how and when to do so, but ultimately your instructor or publisher will have the final say in how they want you to communicate your use of AI. Be sure you understand their expectations!

Include a citation whenever you:

• paraphrase content created by the AI tool
• quote content created by the AI tool
• incorporate any content (e.g. text, image, data) into your own work that was created by the AI tool

You should also acknowledge any functional use of the tool in a note, in your text, or another suitable location that adheres to your instructor's or publisher's expectations. Often, this will be in the form of a disclosure statement.

Disclose your use of AI whenever you use an AI tool to:

• brainstorm a research question
• edit your writing
• translate words
• process or analyze data

Use of Generative AI Tools in Library Databases

For generative AI tools integrated into library databases, such as research assistants or document insights, the same general guidelines as those outlined above apply. Again, make sure you know your instructor's or publisher's expectations since they may differ from the information in this guide:

• Include a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or use the ideas or content generated by the database tools. Make sure to consult style guides for the citation style you'll be using.
• Disclose your use of database AI tools if you used them to support of facilitate your research (for example, using them to brainstorm, produce keywords, suggest related topics, etc.). A disclosure statement will usually be included at the beginning of your document or in an appendix, and will describe what tool you used, how you used it, and that you reviewed the content and take responsibility for the final product. 

If you choose to use AI tools for coursework, assignments, or research, be sure to cite your use of AI and its output just as you would with any other source. A growing number of academic journals and publishers explicitly state their expectations and parameters around the use of AI in published work, and many instructors are similarly including AI use statements in course syllabi. Just as you would with citation style, always be sure to check that your work aligns with course expectations. And remember—AI is a dynamic landscape, and the technology often changes quickly. Be ready to adapt!

Some things to remember:

• Always cite or acknowledge your use of AI tools and their output. This can encompass not only AI-generated content but also your own prompts, the kind of AI tool(s) used, what tasks you used AI for (e.g. brainstorming, revision, research), and more.
• Always check any sources that an AI tool cites. Despite rapid advances in the accuracy and functionality of AI tools, they are still prone to hallucinations. Remember, the AI tool wants to give you the answer that it thinks best fits your query—it is an algorithm-driven machine that is not interested in accuracy.
• Maintain flexibility in your approach to citing AI content. AI tools and functionalities are changing constantly, and official citation style guides may be changing with them. AI citation expectations and requirements can also differ between different instructors, publishers, disciplines, and contexts.
• Remember why we cite: To give credit to authors and creators (even if it is an AI tool), and to assist others in locating your sources.

For more information on how to cite generative AI in specific styles, see the following pages:

• APA style
• MLA style
• Chicago/Turabian style