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APA 7 Guide (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association): Generative AI

This guide will help you cite your documents in using the APA 7th ed. publication manula.

Generative AI

NOTE: The information here is subject to change as guidance regarding generative AI continue to quickly evolve.

  1. Search Engine
    • if using AI like search engine (Google, etc.)  - not necessary to cite AI
  2. Integrated in Software
    • if using AI like integrated (built-in) software (spell-check, grammar check, etc,) - not necessary to cite AI

Ask your professor if any generative AI tools are allowed as appropriate sources for your paper.

Cite an AI tool when:

  • unhelpful, unethical, or otherwise inappropriate to cite a specific chat—as well as when you want to point to the existence of the AI tool but not necessarily cite specific information from it.
  • to edit, analyze, organize, or refine your own writing
  • disclosing in the Method section or author note that you have used AI in the preparation of your paper and citing the tool
  • to create tables, figures, or other visual representations—indicate that you used AI in the table or figure note
Example
AI Company Name. (year). Tool Name/Model in Italics and Title Case [Description; e.g., Large language model]. URL of the tool
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/

Ask your professor if any generative AI tools are allowed as appropriate sources for your paper.

Use the four elements of author, date, title, and source for your references to an AI chat.

Example:

AI Company Name. (year, month day). Title of chat in italics sentence case [Description, such as Generative AI chat]. Tool                       Name/Model. URL of the chat

Anthropic. (2025, May 20). Essential grammar topics for high school graduates [Generative AI chat]. Claude Sonnet 4.

               https://claude.ai/share/329173b2-ec93-4663-ac68-4f65ea4f166d

Ask your professor if any generative AI tools are allowed as appropriate sources for your paper.

  • to create tables, figures, or other visual representations—indicate that you used AI in the table or figure note.

Example:

Follow this order to add AI generated image to your text

Figure #

Brief Title/description of AI generated image

AI generated image

Note:  AI image generated using AI tool name from the prompt your question.

Reference example:

OpenAI. (2023). DALL-E 2. [AI image generator]. https://openai.com/dall-e-2