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Citing Sources

Learn about frequently-used citation styles and citation tools.

Citing Generative AI

This guide's pages about APA, MLA, and Chicago styles as well as those listed on the More Styles page all have information about the use of, and tools used for, generative AI in that style.
A few tips:

1. For Authors -- Most publishers have policies for using and citing genAI tools. When you are considering submitting to a journal or conference, please check its author guidelines for its policies about genAI.

2. Always Check Citations -- GenAI tools are very poor at giving correct citations. You will need to check them in scholarly sources such as library databases or Google Scholar. That’s a good reason to save your time by *starting* with scholarly sources when searching for information.

3. How Recent is the Information?  If you need up-to-date information, use a word like “recent,” “current,” or “latest” in your prompt, or else the genAI tool will most likely not mention when it was last updated.

Example (from Google Gemini; asked August 2025): "Could the time difference between the LLM's training date and the current information cause incorrect information to be retrieved?"

ChatGPT said:

ANSWER: "Yes, absolutely. The time difference between an LLM's training date (known as the knowledge cutoff) and the present moment is a primary cause of potentially incorrect or irrelevant information being retrieved." As reasons why, it listed the LLM's static knowledge base, the risk of retrieving outdated information, and the risk of hallucination, since most genAI tools don't have the ability to say when it does not know something and may instead make things up. 

ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)

 
  • Banner at the top of ASTM Compass, their database of standards:   "Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) on ASTM standards and related intellectual property is prohibited. Violations will result in suspension of access." 

COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) 

  • COPE is "committed to educating and supporting editors, publishers, universities, research institutes, and all those involved in publication ethics. COPE aims to move the culture of publishing towards one where ethical practices become a normal part of the culture itself."
     
  • Here is their position statement about "Authorship and AI Tools"

Hastings Center Report