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Generative AI Literacy

How can I cite, disclose or acknowledge the use of GenAI?

Citing the use of tools or information sources and other resources used in your academic work is key to ensuring you complete your work with academic integrity. Generative AI tools and the content they create can present unique challenges for citing and transparency, because they don't usually generate published, retrievable output.

This means that if you use GenAI, your professor, colleagues or classmates will not be able to retrieve or access the information!

According to APA guidelines, if a source is not retrievable (such as an email, a personal conversation, an interview, etc), you must cite it as a personal communication. However, while a GenAI interaction might seem like a "chat", it's not with a human. 

In order to properly identify GenAI content and contributions to your work, you'll need to think about citing it, disclosing it, or otherwise acknowledging the use of the tool and it's output in your work. The following content suggests ways you can cite, disclose the use of GenAI and acknowledge it's inputs into your work.

  • Always check with your professor for expectations around citing, disclosing and acknowledging
  • Always check with your supervisor, colleagues, or human resources for expectations around the use of GenAI in the workplace

 

Citing GenAI output in APA style

Review the following suggestions for citing text and images generated by AI tools.

Generative AI Tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-pilot) (Updated August 18, 2025)

Use the following suggestions for citing text generated using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-pilot and more.

Citing Images generated using AI tools? Check the APA suggestions on the Visual Works / Figures page

Integrity tip: Always confirm with your professor that you are allowed to use an AI generator as part of your assignment and follow any specific directions they may give. If the tool you use has a shareable URL, ask your professor if you should include the link to the conversation or the full text in an appendix. Learn more on the Generative AI Literacy page.

Sample format:

Company that developed the AI generator. (Year of the version you used). Name of AI Generator (Version number) [Type of AI generator]. URL

Reference list entry examples:

ExLibris. (2024). Primo Research Assistant [Retrieval-augmented generation model]. https://georgian.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/researchAssistant?vid=01OCLS_GEORG:GEORG

Meta. (2024). Llama (LLaMA 3) [Large language model]. https://ai.meta.com/llama

Microsoft. (2023). CoPilot [Large multimodal model]. https://copilot.microsoft.com

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (GPT-4o) [Large multimodal model]. https://chat.openai.com/

In-Text Citations:

In the text of your paper, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated. You can also put the full text of long responses from a generative AI tool in an appendix of your paper. Create your in-text citation with the company name and year indicated in your reference list entry, eg: (OpenAI, 2023) or OpenAI (2023).

Other Information

APA suggests stating or disclosing the use of AI tools in the Methods section or in the introduction. In the text of the paper or other assignment, the writer must provide the prompt used. Writers may also put the full text output in an appendix. APA states that ChatGPT-4 or later versions are “multimodal models”, while earlier versions are “large language models”.

For more information, please see the Citing and Disclosing AI Use page.

Image created using GenerativeAI (Added August 18, 2025)

This examples provides a suggestion for how you can cite images that are generated using AI Tools. For suggestions on citing text created by AI tools, see the Data sets, software & tests page

Integrity tip: Always confirm with your professor that you are allowed to use an AI generator as part of your assignment and follow any specific directions they may give. If the tool you use has a shareable URL, ask your professor if you should include the link to the conversation or the full text in an appendix. Learn more on the Generative AI Literacy page.


Sample format:

Company that developed the AI generator. (Year). Name of AI Generator (Version number or date used) [Type of AI generator]. URL.

Reference page entry:

OpenAI. (2023). DALL E 3 (Mar 20 version) [AI image generator]. https://openai.com/index/dall-e-3/.

In-text citation:

Within your paper or assignment, include the image and the prompt used to generate it, such as in the following example:

Figure 1
Mountain Landscape
an image created using GenAI of a mountain with blue sky and trees
Note: Image generated using the prompt “create an image of a lake, mountains, and trees” by OpenAI, DALL E 3, 2023 (https://openai.com/index/dall-e-3/).

Retrieving text from GenAI tools

Some citation styles tell you to save or retrieve text from generative AI tools to cite them.  Different tools allow you to do this in different ways. 

Most tools allow you to use third-party browser extensions like ExportGPT Conversation.  Always read the developer's privacy policy before downloading and using a third-party app.

Common chatbot retrieval methods

Perplexity

  • After completing your chat, look for the "Share" button
  • Set sharing settings to anyone with the link and copy the link provided, for example: Conversation about Rain from August 13, 2025
  • You can now provide your professor or classmates with direct access to your conversation
  • Viewers may be prompted to login

Microsoft Copilot

  • You can save your interactions by copying and pasting them, or taking a screenshot.  
  • You can create an individual URL for each conversation thread.  Example.
  • Using UVic's version of the tool, you can share your prompt with others in the organization by clicking the "share" icon at the bottom of Copilot's response.  You can also choose to stop sharing prompts.

ChatGPT

  • After completing your chat, use the Share button to generate a link to your conversation
  • Read the prompts carefully and manage data using the settings option that pops up
  • You can customize how you share a conversation, keeping it private or even deleting it

Google Gemini

  • You can save your interactions by copying and pasting them, or taking a screenshot.
  • You can export directly to Google Docs, a draft Gmail, or other tools by using the built-in icons at the bottom of Gemini's response.  Instructions are here.

Retrievability of images

In accordance with MLA's approach in their official guidelines for citing A.I.-generated visual content, we explain here how to publish such content, if possible, and make it retrievable. 

How-to make A.I. generated images retrievable

As of April 4, 2023, some of the A.I. tools for image generation that are available to the wider public offer features to publish images generated with them, providing a platform and individual URLs to retrieve them. The image generation applications that allow for publication of content created with them are:

  • MidJourney
    • Creates individual URLs that are publicly accessible. 
    • Example: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/ad428f60-1f95-4753-a9b2-6c6b1dac1524
  • DALL-E 2 (OpenAI)
    • Per default, images generated by DALL-E 2 are not accessible/retrievable
    • Users of DALL-E 2 can choose to publish their creations, which will produce individual URLs under which anyone with that link can access the published images.
    • Example: https://labs.openai.com/s/7DTSjEDro0rRUG1y6jWLvTZM

 

When Do I Need to Acknowledge Use of an AI Tool?

Any assignments that allow the use of AI tools should include an acknowledgement of your AI use.

Don't assume that you are allowed to use AI tools on an assessment. Check with your professor to clarify any expectations.

Policies will vary from Professor to Professor.

How Do I Acknowledge My Use of AI?

Include an acknowledgement in an appendix to your assignment or in a location designated by your instructor.

Acknowledgement of how you used AI tools on an assignment should include the following:

  • The name of the tool used and a link to the website for the tool
  • A description of the type of task you used the tool to accomplish (e.g. generate text, generate images, edit text, generate code, etc.)
  • A list of the specific prompt(s) used
  • An explanation of how you used the output in your final work

Recommended Format

I acknowledge the use of [insert AI system(s) and link] to [specific use of generative artificial intelligence]. The prompts used include [list of prompts]. The output from these prompts was used to [explain use].

Examples of Student AI Use Disclosure Statements

I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT 3.5, July 20 version (https://chat.openai.com/) to generate a case study about the challenges of sustainability and labor ethics in the chocolate industry. I entered the following prompt on August 1, 2023:

  • "Create a case study over the operations of a chocolate company detailing the challenges of managing chocolate supply chains in both a sustainable and ethical manner. Identify key challenges. Propose potential solutions, but do not commit to any single approach. Conclude by with questions for students to consider about how they would proceed." 

The output from these prompts was used as the case study for the assignment which was then analyzed in the remaining portion of the assignment.

I acknowledge the use of Bing Image Creator powered by DALL-E (https://www.bing.com/images/create) to generate an image of an alien landscape. I entered the following prompt on August 2, 2023:

  • "Alien landscape with multiple suns on the horizon. Digital art."

The output from these prompts was used as a decorative image on my PowerPoint presentation.

I acknowledge the use of Claude (https://claude.ai/) to improve the organization and academic tone of my essay. I uploaded the text of my essay draft through Claude's attach a file feature and I entered the following prompts on August 3, 2023:

  • Original prompt: "For the attached document, suggest potential revisions to improve the organization of information and academic voice."
  • Follow-up prompt: "Please provide specific examples of corrections or improvements."

The output from these prompts was used to edit my draft essay. Some specific suggestions for rephrasing were adopted, but the output primarily was used to identify areas that could be strengthened from which I made original edits.

No AI tools/technologies were used in the completion of this assignment.

Attribution

Retrieving AI Generated Content is adapted from "Citing AI" by University of Victoria Libraries, CC BY 4.0

Acknowledging the use of AI Generated Content is adapted from AI-Generated Content: Student AI Disclosures by Newman University Library, CC BY 4.0