Referencing ChatGPT and other Generative AI

Owned by Stuart J
Last updated: Jul 26, 2024
2 min read

If you use an AI-generative technology such as ChatGPT at any stage of your research, you must declare it, even if you do not use it as a source.  

If you use it as a source, you need to footnote it as well. 

 

You can find College's current Guidance on the use of ChatGPT and other Generative AI here. 

Reference it as you would other ephemeral, short-lived sources, such as email and personal correspondence: 

Referencing the Use of Al Technologies 

All direct quotes, summaries, and paraphrases of text Al sources must be referenced in a footnote. Students are also required to add a statement outlining their use of Al technologies if they use them in an assignment. Examples follow.  

 

SBL Referencing 

 

Footnotes:     

(number) Originator of the communication, medium, Day, Month, Year.  

1 Open Al's ChatGPT Al language model, response to question from the author, 17 February 2023. 

Note: Use this full form of the footnote each time you need a footnote. As yet, there is no abbreviated form for second and subsequent footnotes. 

 

Bibliography:  

An informal source: Do not reference, but you must declare its use after your bibliography (see template below). 

 

 

Declare your use of it with this declaration: 

Declaration of Al technology use 

 

If you use Al, you must include a declaration outlining your use of it and the programs used. This will help assure academic integrity in your work. 

Declarations should follow the Bibliography of Sources Used. 

 

Declaration of use (When you use AI-generated information in the research process or for background only, and it does not form part of your final submission) 

 

Template: 

I acknowledge the use of <insert Al system and link to the system> to <insert purpose of Al use> in <insert which stage of the assessment>.  

Examples: 

I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT, https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/ to assist with the structuring of this essay in the drafting process.  

I acknowledge the use of Elicit https://elicit.org/ in collating resources for use during my initial research. 

 

 

Declaration of modified use (When you use and quote, paraphrase, summarise, or otherwise rely upon AI-generated information in your submission) 

 

Template: 

I acknowledge the use of <insert Al system and link to the system> to generate <insert materials> which were [modified and] used <insert which stage of the assignment>. 

 

Examples: 

I acknowledge the use of Synthesia https://www.synthesia.io/ to generate a short video about using Al, which was then modified and used in my final oral presentation. 

 

(Adapted from Summary of Interim Al Technologies Referencing - Update February 2023 by Tabor Institute of Higher Education)