How to Cite ChatGPT in APA, MLA, and Chicago Styles: A Complete Guide

As AI tools like ChatGPT become more prevalent in academic and research writings, proper citation has become essential. This guide covers how to cite ChatGPT and other AI-generated content in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, with examples and best practices for ethical use in scholarly work. However, the government policies, educational institutes, and style guides across the world are still working on the guidelines. This article presents the updated information to date.

Why Proper Citation of AI Matters

When using ChatGPT or similar AI tools in your research, proper citation serves two crucial purposes:

Academic integrity: Academic integrity, according to the ICAI, involves a commitment to honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. These fundamental values can be applied to many circumstances in the learning environment, including how to improve our academic writing skills to avoid plagiarism. Learning how to use AI properly, including how to cite ChatGPT and other tools, is important to pursuing and achieving academic integrity. Academic integrity acknowledges the use of AI-generated content.
Transparency: Allows readers to understand how AI contributed to your work. Citing your sources is an essential part of ethical and professional writing.

Important: Always check your institution's or publisher's guidelines before using AI tools in academic work, as policies vary widely.

General Principles for Citing AI Content

Describe how you used the AI tool in your methodology or introduction
Include the exact prompts you used
Credit the creator of the AI model (e.g., OpenAI for ChatGPT)
Never present AI-generated text as your own original writing
Verify all facts and sources provided by AI tools

How to Cite ChatGPT in Different Citation Styles

APA Style (7th Edition)

The American Psychological Association provides specific guidelines for citing ChatGPT and similar AI tools:

Element	Format	Example
Reference List Entry	Author. (Year). Title (Version) [Descriptor]. URL	OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
In-text Citation	(Author, Year)	(OpenAI, 2023)

Example in context:
When prompted with "Explain the left brain-right brain divide," ChatGPT responded that "the notion that people can be characterized as 'left-brained' or 'right-brained' is considered to be an oversimplification" (OpenAI, 2023).

MLA Style (9th Edition)

The Modern Language Association recommends this format for citing ChatGPT:

Element	Format	Example
Works Cited Entry	"Prompt text" prompt. ChatGPT, Version, OpenAI, Date, URL	"Examples of cognitive biases" prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 16 Feb. 2023, chat.openai.com
In-text Citation	("Shortened prompt")	("Examples of cognitive")

Chicago Style (17th Edition)

Chicago style treats ChatGPT content as personal communication:

Element	Format	Example
Footnote	1. Text generated by ChatGPT, Date, OpenAI, URL	1. Text generated by ChatGPT, March 31, 2023, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com
Subsequent Citations	2. ChatGPT	2. ChatGPT

Best Practices for Using ChatGPT in Academic Work

When to Cite ChatGPT

When quoting or paraphrasing AI-generated text
When using AI for editing or translation
When AI contributes significantly to your research process
If you’re using ChatGPT responses as a primary source

When Not to Rely on ChatGPT

As a source for factual information (it may "hallucinate" false details)
For references or citations (it often creates fake sources)
To write complete papers or sections (may be considered plagiarism)

Warning: ChatGPT's knowledge is current only until its training cutoff date (e.g., January 2022 for ChatGPT-3.5). It cannot access or verify real-time information.

Special Cases

Including Long ChatGPT Responses

For extensive AI-generated content, APA recommends:

Include a brief excerpt in your main text with citation
Place the full transcript in an appendix
Reference the appendix in your citation

When asked about neural plasticity, ChatGPT provided a detailed explanation including that "the brain's ability to reorganize itself is most pronounced in childhood but continues throughout life" (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for full transcript).

Citing Other AI Tools

The same principles apply to tools like Google Bard or Bing AI. Adapt the citation format with the appropriate:

Company name (e.g., Google for Bard)
Tool name
Version information
Access URL

There are many questions over the use of ChatGPT in academic writings like, "Should students be allowed to use it? What guidelines should instructors create for students using AI? Does using AI-generated text constitute plagiarism? Should authors who use ChatGPT credit ChatGPT? What are the ? These questions are still under debate and we haven't reached on the final conclusions. Researchers, editors, instructors, and others are actively debating and creating parameters and guidelines.

References:

1. ChatGPT Citations | Formats & Examples (scribbr.com)

2. How to cite ChatGPT (apa.org)

3. How to Cite ChatGPT Sources | APA, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver - Wordvice

4. When and how to cite ChatGPT and AI in MLA / APA formats (turnitin.com)

5. How to Cite ChatGPT: A Complete Guide (linkedin.com)

6. What is Academic Integrity?

7. Copyright Registration Guidance: Works Containing Material Generated by Artificial Intelligence