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Law AGLC4 Referencing Guide

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools (e.g. ChatGPT)

Generative AI tools can be used to create content such as text, images or music. For more information, read about the use of generative AI tools for your studies on the Academic Integrity and Turnitin page.

If you have used a generative AI tool in your assessment, you need to acknowledge this use as part of your commitment to academic integrity at SCU. Discuss with your Unit Assessor if you are not sure about how you can use generative AI tools in your studies.

Referencing of generative AI tools currently fits into the category “written correspondence”. This is because generative AI tools such as ChatGPT generate text, or other outputs, that are not retrievable or shareable directly from the generative AI tool. If you have quoted or paraphrased the text response, cite with a footnote only and don’t include an entry in your bibliography. For other output types e.g. images or musical scores, use the same citation format.

Because the text response or other output is not retrievable, include it as an appendix, then refer readers to the appendix when you cite the AI generated output. In the appendix, include an acknowledgement statement explaining the generative AI tool (and version) that you used, how you have used the tool and the prompt that generated the specific response. 

Generative AI tools are an emerging technology. This is interim advice from the AGLC editors. The guidance is to broadly follow rule 7.12 which deals with Written Correspondence. Keep checking this guide for updated information.

Footnote - general format
Output from Program, Creator to recipient, full date.

Output from ChatGPT, OpenAI to John Smith, 23 February 2023.

 Additional tips
  • Discursive text may be used in the footnote to provide information about the prompts used to generate the output, in accordance with rule 1.1.5.
  • An appendix may be used in order to provide comprehensive information about the series of prompts and outputs used to generate the output.

Example: Output from ChatGPT, OpenAI to John Smith, 23 February 2023. The output was generated in response to the prompt, ‘Provide an overview of the creation of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation’: see below Appendix A.