APA Style has provided advice on how to cite ChatGPT. When you include ChatGPT-generated text in your research or assignment, APA does not consider it personal communication because there's no human involved. It's more like sharing the output of an algorithm. To give credit for the algorithm's work, create a reference list entry and add an in-text citation for the algorithm's author. This format can be adapted for other generative AI tools.
In-text citation
Parenthetical citation: (Author, 2023)
Example: (OpenAI, 2023)
Narrative citation: Author (2023)
Example: OpenAI (2023)
Reference List
Format:
Author. (Year). AI Tool (Version if applicable) [Large language model]. URL
Example:
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
APA specifically suggests that if you have used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, explain how you used them in your methods section or a similar part of your assignment. For literature reviews, essays or other papers, describe how you used the tool in your introduction (if you relied on it heavily) and make sure to include the prompt you used and the generated text in your assignment.
Note: In-text citation is important, but it doesn’t explain how you used AI. You also need to clearly acknowledge how you used AI in your reference list or bibliography. Go to the section ‘Acknowledging use of AI tools’ for advice on how to do this.
