This content was created by Niamh McGuigan at Brown University Library and is reused and adapted with permission.
If you choose to use generative AI tools for course assignments, academic work, or other forms of published writing, you should give special attention to how you acknowledge and cite the output of those tools in your work. You should always check with your instructor before using AI for coursework.
As with all things related to AI, the norms and conventions for citing AI-generated content are likely to evolve over the next few years. For now, some of the major style guides have released preliminary guidelines. Individual publishers may have their own guidance on citing AI-generated content.
Here are some fundamental ideas that hold true for citing AI generated content, no matter which citation style you're using:
Be flexible in your approach to citing AI-generated content, because emerging guidelines will always lag behind the current state of technology, and the way that technology is applied. If you are unsure of how to cite something, include a note in your text that describes how you used a certain tool.
When in doubt, remember that we cite sources for two primary purposes: first, to give credit to the author or creator; and second, to help others locate the sources you used in your research. Use these two concepts to help make decisions about using and citing AI-generated content.
Style guides used in other disciplines might have different advice for citing generative AI. Try searching for the name of the style and "generative ai" to see if such guidance exists.
Citation management tools like Zotero might not have "AI tools" as an item type. MIT Libraries suggests that you "use the 'software' designation to save AI-generated content. You may also use the "website" item type."
Because generative AI results can differ based on who used the tool, MIT Libraries further suggests adding the name of the person who used the AI tool in the "extra" field.