Using AI to Support Academic Work: A Library Guide: Referencing AI

Traditional citation styles assume sources are stable, human-authored, and reproducible. But generative AI tools like Gemini and Microsoft Copilot are dynamic, probabilistic systems that do not meet these criteria.

As Weaver (2024) argues, citation practices “do not fully meet the needs of today’s AI-enabled world”.^[1] While guidance is emerging, it often lacks clarity on how to:

• Indicate the extent of AI contribution

• Distinguish between AI support and human authorship

• Reference specific versions or outputs of AI tools

Because there is no universal standard yet for acknowledging or referencing AI, the practices outlined below aim to support your decision-making, but are not meant as final solutions. Consult course-specific or departmental requirements, and discuss concerns with local staff.

Some academic work may ask you to acknowledge or declare how AI tools were used. These declarations should be proportionate to the level of AI involvement. Keep in mind that while transparency is important, declaring AI use does not absolve you of responsibility - you're still accountable for the academic quality and accuracy of your work.

When You Might Need to Declare AI Use:

Declare AI use when the tool has materially contributed to the work (also known as "substantive use"). For example:

• Analysing data to identify patterns or trends

• Rewriting significant portions of text

• Suggesting an outline

You may not need to declare:

• Proofreading

• Reformatting slides or converting file formats

• Spellchecking or grammar improvements

What Could Be Included in a Declaration:

If required to declare AI use, you could include the following elements:

• Name and version of the tool e.g. ChatGPT (version GPT-4o)

• Publisher e.g. OpenAI

• Date used

• URL of the tool e.g. https://chatgpt.com/

• A short description of how you used the tool (e.g. “used to suggest an outline based on my notes”)

A more detailed declaration may also include the prompt(s) used (if applicable), the number of generations of the same prompt(s), and a copy of all interactions with the tool in the appendices.

If in doubt, keep a record of how you used AI, and ask tutors or departmental staff for guidance.

Although traditional citations have limitations when applied to AI-generated content, you may be asked to reference GenAI content in your academic work.

Some but not all referencing styles do provide guidance. Cite Them Right is an online referencing tool that’s free to members of the University. Their Generative AI page (SSO required to log in) provides citation information for referencing styles including APA 7th, Harvard, and OSCOLA.

If the AI’s end product is only available to you (e g. having a conversation with ChatGPT), you may cite this as a software program’s (or algorithm’s) output, and include a description of the AI-generated material in your in-text citation.

Example for APA 7th

In-text citation

"When prompted by the author, ChatGPT responded with a ‘definition of academic integrity’ (OpenAI, 2025). A copy of this response is in Appendix 1."

Reference list

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (May 12 version). [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/auth/login

If the AI material is instead available online, you can cite it as an electronic version of a source (such as an artwork or article).

Example for Harvard

In-text citation

"The AI-generated flower (Shutterstock AI, 2023)…"

Reference list

Shutterstock AI. (2023). Photo of pond with lotus flower [Digital art]. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-generated/photo-pond-lotus-flower-2252080005 [Accessed: May 23rd, 2025].

Further information:

1. Weaver, K.D. (2024). The Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) Framework: An Introduction, in College & Research Libraries News, 85(10), pp. 407–410. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.85.10.407