Library FAQ

As of this writing, the American Psychological Association has evolving guidance on this topic. Best practices around citing AI are always changing, so please consult your instructor and/or the Tutoring and Writing Center, where you can book appointments with expert writing consultants.

To understand how APA handles ChatGPT, we need to look at a citation's two complementary parts:

1. In-text citation:

ChatGPT never gives the same answer twice, even if you ask the same question. For this reason, you should quote all or part of its answer along with the AI company and the date in parentheses. See the example below:

When asked to rank the artist's output, ChatGPT was uncertain: "Determining the 'best' David Bowie album is subjective and depends on individual taste, as Bowie's discography spans diverse styles and eras. However, one of the most acclaimed and influential albums is 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'" (OpenAI, 2024).

​​​​​​​2. Reference list:

OpenAI is the author in this instance. For other AI models, another company or an individual may be the author instead. Since ChatGPT is constantly changing, it's necessary to include key information to help your reader keep track.

OpenAI (2024). ChatGPT (Jan 18 version) [Large language model]. 

https://chat.openai.com/chat

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