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AI Tools for Students

Citing AI Generated Content

The process for citing content created by AI tools is still evolving and the information in this section is subject to change. Before you use AI tools in your assignments, read your class syllabi and consult with your professors; your professor might not allow the use of AI tools.

When you use AI-generated content, you must cite it both in the text of your paper and in your bibliography (list of sources you used).

APA, MLA, and other citation styles now include instructions for citing AI-created content. The best places to find up-to-date guidelines are online. Older printed style guides may not cover how to cite AI content. Not all citation styles have developed guidelines for citing AI-generated content as of December 2023.

AI Help for Citations

Many article databases include tools for generating citations. However, these citations can contain errors. AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and Claude can save you time by helping to proofread and alphabetize your sources (articles, books, websites, videos, etc.). 

To have an AI tool edit and alphabetize your sources:

  1. Give the AI the prompt: "Proofread the following sources for [name of the style you want to use] style and alphabetize them."
  2. Paste in your citations. 
    1. NOTE: You must have all of the information required for a full citation, otherwise the AI tools won't be able to fully edit your citations. As of December 2023, ChatGPT, Bard, and Claude struggle to create correct, complete citations from URLs and DOIs. 
  3. Give the AI additional prompts as necessary to fine-tune the citations. For example, the AI might number your sources or split them into different categories by format. Bibliographies and reference lists should always be a simple, single, alphabetized list.
  4. Paste the AI's response into the bibliography at the end of your assignment. 

If you are unsure if an AI tool has correctly edited your sources, we recommend the style handouts created by the UVU Writing Center for guidance.

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