Always cite materials or output generated from an AI tool in your assignment, journal article, etc.
Refer to the Style Guide (e.g., APA, MLA, IEEE, etc.) for the proper formatting of citations for AI tools and AI generated materials.
An AI tool cannot be listed as a co-author in an assignment, journal article, book, book chapter, etc.
For academic and scholarly publications, review the policies and instructions of the publisher as to (a) how AI can be used in the publication (if at all), and (b) how to acknowledge or disclose the use of AI in the publication. Example policies from Elsevier and Nature.
Examples of acknowledgment statements can be found on the TRU Library website.
From the "How to cite ChatGPT" post on the APA Style Blog from April 7, 2023, updated February 23, 2024.
Example of in-text citation:
Example of in-text citation with reference to an appendix:
Example of reference list entry:
From the "How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?" post on the MLA Style Center website from March 17, 2023.
Paraphrasing an AI Tool
Example within the text:
Example of Works Cited entry:
Quoting an AI Tool
Example within the text:
Example of the Works Cited entry:
Citing Creative Visual Works
Follow the guidelines in Section 1.7 of the MLA Handbook for the proper formatting of the caption associated with the AI-generated image. One option is to include the full citation of the image in the caption. Another option is to include a shorter caption and the full citation in the Works Cited section.
Example of image and caption:
Quoting Creating Textual Works
Example of Works Cited entry for a textual work with a title:
Example of Works Cited entry for a textual work without a title:
Citing Secondary Sources Used by an AI Tool
From the FAQ question, "How do you recommend citing content developed or generated by artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT?", answered on the Chicago Manual's Style Q&A website.
Numbered Footnotes
Example when the prompt has been included in the text:
Example when the prompt has NOT been included in the text:
Author-Date Format
Example when the prompt has been included in the text:
Example when the prompt has NOT been included in the text:
AI Generated Images
From the FAQ question, "How do you cite images generated by DALL-E?", answered on the Chicago Manual's Style Q&A website.
From the "Author Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Generated Text" post on the IEEE Open website from April 16, 2024.
From the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals published in January 202
Section II.A.4 defines the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted Technology in publications:
Section IV.A.3.d outlines what information about AI should be included in the Methods section:
From the "CSE Guidance on Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Tools" article in the June 2023 issue (Vol. 46 No. 2) of Science Editor.
From the Canadian Open Access Legal Citation Guide on the Canadian Legal Information Institute's website from June 2024. Section 8 of this citation guide provides guidelines specifically for AI-generated material.
AI Tool Publicly Available
Format of citation:
Example citation - first reference:
Example citation - subsequent references:
AI Tool Not Publicly Available
Format of citation:
Example citation - first reference:
Example citation - subsequent references:
Queen's Resources:
Confirm with your instructor or check your course syllabus before using AI in an assignment. Some instructors do not permit the use of AI tools, while others may allow AI with limitations. Any permitted use of AI for assessment must be acknowledged or cited properly - your instructor should specify how they would prefer AI tools to be referenced. Some possible examples include: