Citation and Plagiarism

First steps

• Before submitting any work that has been aided or generated by generative AI, always check with your instructor whether tools like ChatGPT can be used for your assignment. If they can, double check to see whether your instructor has provided any guidelines on how the generative AI tools can be used
• Make sure you always verify and evaluate the sources cited by generated AI tools, as generative AI tools can create fake or inaccurate citations

How to cite AI generated content

The following format is appropriate for attribution (although students must check with their instructors to ensure this is sufficient):

• AI tool and version
• Date
• Prompt/s or instructions

More information

Check out the Student and Faculty Guide for using Generative AI LibGuide to learn:

• Basic information about generative AI (including what generative AI is and what some examples of generative AI tools are)

• Responsible use and best practices in using generative AI (including what to consider if you're going to be using a generative AI tool to create content for an assignment)

• Avoiding plagiarism (including how to cite content created by generative AI)

• Finding generative AI tools to use in research, teaching, and learning (including what to consider when picking a tool

Here are some guidelines for referencing AI-generated content in APA style:

• Provide in-text citations that include the name of the AI tool, its owner, and the year of publication. This includes citing direct quotations and paraphrases, as well as how you used the tool for tasks like editing, generating ideas and data processing. 

• Provide further details of how you used the tool in a reference list, appendix, annotated bibliography or similar. Include the prompt you provided and what the generated text offered. If you are unsure of how to cite something, include a note in your text that describes how you used a certain tool. 

Format:

Author. (Date). Name of tool (Version of tool) [Large language model]. URL

Example:

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

In-Text Citation Example:

(OpenAI, 2023)

Here are some guidelines for referencing AI-generated content in MLA style:

• Provide in-text citations of direct quotations and/or paraphrased content
• When citing in MLA, AI-generated content is viewed as a source with no author, so you'll use the title of the source in your in-text citations, and in your reference list. The title you choose should be a brief description of the AI-generated content, such as an abbreviated version of the prompt you used. 
• If you are able to create a shareable link to the chat transcript, include that instead of the tool's URL.

Format:
"Description of chat" prompt. Name of AI tool, version of AI tool, Company, Date of chat, URL.

Example: 

"Examples of harm reduction initiatives" prompt. ChatGPT, 23 Mar. version, OpenAI, 4 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

In-Text Citation Example:

("Examples of harm reduction")

 Here are some guidelines for referencing AI-generated content in Chicago style:

• Treat the AI tool as the author of the content.
• If possible, describe the prompt used to generate the content in the text. If you are unable to do so,  include that information in a footnote or endnote.
• The date used in your citation will be the date the content was generated.
• A numbered footnote or endnote might look like this:

Format:
1. Author, Title, Publisher, Date, url for the tool.  

Example (if information about the prompt has been included within the text of your paper):

1. Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, March 7, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/chat. 

Example (including information about the prompt):

1. ChatGPT, response to "Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients," OpenAI, March 7, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/chat. 

UO's Student Conduct Code states that the use of material taken from any source—whether directly quoted, paraphrased, or otherwise adapted—must be attributed to that source. Please reference it to stay up to date with how the university approaches student use.

What is Plagiarism? 

Presenting another’s material as one’s own, including using another’s words, results, processes or ideas, in whole or in part, without giving appropriate credit. Plagiarism is contingent on the content of the submitted work product, regardless of whether the unattributed material was included intentionally or unintentionally. The use of material taken from any source—whether directly quoted, paraphrased, or otherwise adapted—must be attributed to that source.

Plagiarism and Generative Artificial Intelligence

Plagiarism also includes the submission of material generated by others. This may include:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) content generators and generative AI tools such as ChatGPT

• Websites with a question-and-answer feature, such as Course Hero, Chegg, and Bing, and

• Assistance from tutors or online language translators that results in unoriginal work