This guide is a starting point. For full details on correctly citing resources and creating references, please consult
the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Ed.) (2020), or Cites & Sources (6th Ed.) (2021).
Please Note! Library staff do not teach APA, and cannot evaluate or correct work. If you need help with APA Style, please contact your instructor.
Please Note! Some instructors do not permit the use of ChatGPT or AI for essays or other assignments. It is essential to confirm with your instructor before using these tools. Using ChatGPT or other AI without citing it is considered academic misconduct.
What is ChatGPT?
"ChatGPT is a chatbot based on a Large Language Model (LLM). That means you can ask a question (prompt) and ChatGPT will write a text for it. This ranges from writing a limerick to writing scientific articles. To generate text, ChatGPT does not need to understand the prompt (and the answer). Instead, the prompt gives the chatbot a context within which it will use probability to see which words best line up, forming sentences. It generates new unique text and does not show existing texts (like ordinary search engines). It is therefore not possible to check the authenticity of texts with plagiarism software." (Koender & Könning, 2023)
Information and ideas generated by artificial intelligence (AI), including Chat GPT, must be cited. AI and Chat GPT are not included in the Publication Manual, but the American Psychological Association has released guidelines for citing these types of sources. The information here comes from “How to cite ChatGPT”, written by Timothy McAdoo for the APA Style Blog in April 2023. A link to the full text can be found here: How to Cite ChatGPT, from the APA Style Blog
Sources
Koender, L. & Könning, D. (2023). ChatGPT in education: What is ChatGPT capable of, and what are its limitations? Utrecht University. https://www.uu.nl/en/education/educational-development-training/knowledge-dossier/what-is-chatgpt-capable-of-and-what-are-its-limitations
MacAdoo, T. (2023, April 7). “How to cite ChatGPT”. APA Style Blog. American Psychological Association. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt
Like any technology, AI and Chat GPT have limitations, and using them for research can create challenges and present risks to researchers, including students. Many articles have been written on this topic, and below are the most common risks and limitations mentioned. A list of sources can be found at the end of this section.
Sources
Code Academy. (2023). "Risks and limitations of ChatGPT". Introduction to ChatGPT. https://www.codecademy.com/learn/intro-to-chatgpt/modules/risks-and-limitations-of-chat-gpt/cheatsheet
Koender, L. & Könning, D. (2023). ChatGPT in education: What is ChatGPT capable of, and what are its limitations? Utrecht University. https://www.uu.nl/en/education/educational-development-training/knowledge-dossier/what-is-chatgpt-capable-of-and-what-are-its-limitations
Marr, B. (2023, March 3). The top 10 limitations of ChatGPT. Forbes Magazine. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/03/03/the-top-10-limitations-of-chatgpt/?sh=1ca019d98f35
MacAdoo, T. (2023, April 7). “How to cite ChatGPT”. APA Style Blog. American Psychological Association. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt
Weaver, K.D. & Muñoz Gómez, A. (2023, October 19). ChatGPT and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI): Incorrect bibliographic references. University of Waterloo Library. https://subjectguides.uwaterloo.ca/chatgpt_generative_ai/incorrectbibreferences
In his article, How to Cite ChatGPT, from the APA Style Blog, Timothy MacAdoo explains how to find each of the four elements of a reference list entry - author, date, title and source - for Chat GPT and other AI software:
Source
MacAdoo, T. (2023, April 7). “How to cite ChatGPT”. APA Style Blog. American Psychological Association. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt
Please Note! If Chat GPT or other AI tools were used for research, brainstorming ideas, generating lists of citations, or for any other purpose in the creation of an essay or assignment, it must be cited. Using ChatGPT or other AI without citing it is considered academic misconduct.
One way to cite ChatGPT or other AI tools is to describe how the tool was used in either an introduction or a methods section. In the text or body of the essay or assignment, provide the prompt that was used - what you typed into Chat GPT - followed by any relevant portion of the text that was generated in response.
It is important to note that the results of a Chat GTP session are not retrievable. In his article, How to Cite ChatGPT, from the APA Style Blog, Timothy MacAdoo writes that, “although non-retrievable data or quotations are usually cited as personal communications, with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation” (2023).
Source
MacAdoo, T. (2023, April 7). “How to cite ChatGPT”. APA Style Blog. American Psychological Association. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt
In-text Example
When prompted with, “What are some ethical considerations when conducting research involving human participants?”, the Chat GPT-generated text indicated that . . . (OpenAI, 2023).
Reference List Entry
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Please Note! The full text of long responses from ChatGPT should be included in an appendix so that the reader has access to the exact text that was generated. MacAdoo notes that, “it is particularly important to document the exact text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of your APA Style paper” (2023).
Creating a Reference to ChatGPT or Other AI
Reference List Entry - Format
Author. (Date). Software. (Version) [Model]. Link.
Example
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Parenthetical Citation - Format
(Author, Date) Example (OpenAI, 2023)
Narrative Citation - Format
Author (Date) Example OpenAI (2023)
Source
MacAdoo, T. (2023, April 7). “How to cite ChatGPT”. APA Style Blog. American Psychological Association. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt