AI tools are everywhere in academic work, but citation standards are still catching up. Whether you used ChatGPT to brainstorm or Claude to explain a concept, you're probably wondering: do I cite this? Here's what you need to know.
Feb 5, 2026
By
Joe Pacal, MSc
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TL;DR
Cite AI when it generated content in your work. Include the tool name, version, company, and date. APA and MLA have specific formats; other styles are still catching up. When dealing with a secondary citation (AI referred to some other content), visit the original source and cite that. When in doubt, disclose your AI use in acknowledgements—transparency protects you.
Do You Actually Need to Cite AI?
Crucially, the answer to this question depends on if you're citing the AI output itself, or if the AI helped you find a useful citation from another source. Let's look at both of these cases…
Citing AI content directly
If AI generated content that appears in your work—even paraphrased—you need to cite it. This includes text you quoted or adapted, ideas or frameworks the AI suggested, code it wrote or helped debug, and summaries you built on.
Citing AI references from elsewhere (secondary citations)
If ChatGPT or another AI system mentions or performs a search to find a piece of information—you should go to the original source and verify that information. Then cite the original—not the ChatGPT response. While at it, make sure to either cite the original source verbatim or paraphrase it yourself.
This is the best way to ensure the information you're working with is accurate and validated by a human (that's you)!
When you don't need to cite AI
You generally don't need to cite AI for grammar and spelling corrections, using AI-powered search to find sources (cite the sources themselves), or brainstorming that didn't make it into your final work.
The gray area is real, and your institution may have specific policies. When in doubt, disclose.
The Core Information You'll Need
Regardless of citation style, you'll typically need the AI tool's name (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini), the version or model if known (GPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet), the company or developer (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google), the date you generated the content, and sometimes the prompt you used.
Unlike citing a book or article, you're citing something that can't be retrieved—someone running the same prompt won't get the same output. This matters for how different styles handle it.
Quick Reference by Major Style
APA (7th Edition) treats AI output as a non-retrievable source but does include it in the reference list:
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (Jan 3 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
In-text: (OpenAI, 2025)
MLA (9th Edition) treats the AI tool as the author and the prompt as the title:
"Describe the symbolism in The Great Gatsby" prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-4 version, OpenAI, 3 Jan. 2025, chat.openai.com.
Chicago varies by whether you're using Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date, and the manual is still evolving guidance. Generally treated similarly to personal communication or software.
IEEE and most technical styles are still developing formal guidance—check your specific journal or conference requirements.
The exact formatting matters, so check your specific style guide for your discipline to get it right (see all guides at the bottom of this article).
What About the Prompt?
Some instructors and journals want to see exactly what you asked the AI. Options include including the prompt in your citation (MLA's approach), adding prompts to an appendix, describing your use in a methodology section, or including a brief note in your acknowledgments.
If you had a long back-and-forth conversation with an AI, you don't need to cite every exchange. Focus on the outputs that materially contributed to your work.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Citing ChatGPT without verifying the source. It's an easy mistake to grab what your AI wrote and paste it into your paper. But this is the riskiest mistake and the whole problem with AI in academia.
Forgetting the date. AI outputs aren't stable. The same prompt in January might give different results in June. The date matters.
Being vague about the model. "ChatGPT" isn't enough if you can identify whether you used GPT-3.5 or GPT-4. Be as specific as possible.
Over-citing. If you used AI as a writing aid the same way you'd use a thesaurus, you probably don't need a formal citation—but check your institution's academic integrity policy.
A Note on Transparency
Beyond the technical citation question, many institutions now require you to disclose AI use even when a formal citation isn't needed. This might mean a statement in your assignment submission, a note in your methodology section, or a brief acknowledgment.
This isn't about catching you out—it's about academic honesty in a transitional period. When policies are unclear, transparency protects you.
The exact formatting for AI citations depends on your required citation style. Check the specific guide for your discipline below.
