Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are everywhere – including in the writing process for student papers. Whether you’re using AI to brainstorm, explain a complex topic, or generate a few sentences, one thing is clear: you have to cite it properly.
The APA Style has spoken, and it's the right way to stay out of plagiarism trouble. Here’s how to give credit where credit is due – even when it’s a robot.
First: Ask Before You Use It
Before citing ChatGPT or any other AI tool, check your instructor’s policy. Some classes welcome AI support; others forbid it entirely. And yes – using it without approval could violate your school’s academic integrity policy.
When in doubt? Ask.
Citing a Specific Chat with Generative AI
Let’s say you asked ChatGPT a question and included some of its response in your paper. In its most recent update on the topic, the APA provides a structure for citing a specific AI chat, as opposed to simply citing the AI program itself.
This means the reference for the chat would follow this template:
AI Company Name. (year, month day). Title of chat in italics [Description, such as Generative AI chat]. Tool Name/Model. URL of the chat
The citation for this reference would then be (AI Company Name, year).
Generally Citing an AI Tool
Recognizing that sometimes citing a specific chat would be unhelpful or otherwise inappropriate, the APA also offers guidance for the general citation of an AI tool, which follows the existing APA 7 template for citing Software. The APA notes a general citation would be helpful in instances where you've used AI to organize or refine your own writing, to translate all or part of a source to better your own understanding of it, or as part of the methodology of your work – such as having AI serve as a tutor for study participants.Following the existing APA 7 template for citing Software, a general reference for an AI tool would follow this format:
AI Company Name. (year). Tool Name/Model in Italics and Title Case [Description; e.g., Large language model]. URL of the tool itself
And the citation would then be (AI Company Name, year).
Where to Explain How You Used AI
If AI helped you in your research or idea development, and you're using the general citation and not citing a specific chat, APA recommends describing that in your paper – typically in the Method section, Introduction, or Acknowledgments.
Example:
Portions of this paper were generated with the assistance of ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI. The final content was reviewed and revised by the author.
If you include longer responses from ChatGPT, consider placing them in an appendix or supplemental materials so readers can see the exact text generated. Since ChatGPT’s output changes with every session, documenting what you received is key to transparency.
What about AI prompts?
The APA encourages researchers to document the prompts used with AI tools for their own records. If useful to readers, the prompt (and any further refining of it that occurred during a chat) would then appear in the same section where you explained how AI was used, such as the Method section or in an appendix. Prompts are not included in your reference.
Building the a ChatGPT Reference in PERRLA
Here at PERRLA , we're in the process of adding Generative AI into the PERRLA Reference engine , but you can already cite ChatGPT & other AI's using PERRLA's Gray Literature reference type. (Gray Literature can function as a blank template for many types of unusual references)
Here's how:
- When creating the reference, select Gray Literature for the reference type
- Enter the following information in the PERRLA Reference form:
Group Author (Organization): The name of the company responsible for building the AI (e.g., OpenAI)
Title of the Word: the name of the AI model (the version number is no longer required by APA)
Format or Type: The kind of AI model you are citing (e.g., Large language model)
URL: The URL for either the tool itself or the specific chat, depending on whether you're citing a tool itself or a specific chat - Once you've entered the information, you can click "Next", then "Create" to add the reference to your library
Now you can cite your reference using PERRLA's References & Citations panel. Once we release the revised PERRLA reference engine, we'll update these instructions to keep you up to date.
Things To Avoid
- ❌ Don’t try to hide it (if you use AI, avoid plagiarism trouble by giving credit where it's due)
- ❌ Don’t cite ChatGPT as a website, article, or personal communication
- ❌ Don’t skip citation just because the AI didn’t provide sources (its sources are often wrong anyway)
And yes – always verify any references or claims it gives you. ChatGPT is a smart tool, but it occasionally makes up sources with very convincing fake citations. Trust, but verify.