Referencing generative AI in your assessments

The latest advice on how to reference content generated by artificial intelligence (AI). As this is a fast-evolving area, regularly check this page and the Cite Them Right website for updates.

Introduction

If you are unsure about using generative AI, the University’s default position is explained in Can generative AI be used for assessments? (you need to login to the RISE platform). 

You should also check your assessment brief or speak to your tutor for further guidance and reassurance. 

The guide takes you through when and how to reference AI-generated material in your work.

Generative AI has some output limitations and these are examined in the RISE AI Literacy study pack, particularly: 

It’s important that you also regularly check the guidance on honesty and accuracy in your work in Artificial Intelligence and Assessments to ensure that you uphold academic integrity and don’t unintentionally commit academic misconduct. More information can be found in Manchester Met’s policy on Academic integrity and misconduct.

How to reference generative AI content

Information on when you should cite and reference generative AI can be found below. Guidance on how you should cite and reference generative AI can be found on the Cite Them Right website: 

If you are following the RSC referencing style guide, there is currently no official guidance on how to reference generative AI in your work. Instead follow the guidance for online resources (including databases, websites and wikis).  

As URL links to generative AI outputs are often nonrecoverable you would need to use the following agreed referencing format: 

Name of resource, brief description of prompt, URL, (accessed date). 

If you are unsure whether you need to cite and reference generative AI in your work,  or feel that the guidance is unclear, please email [email protected]. 

When to cite and reference generative AI

  • Understanding information

    You do not need to cite and reference AI tools that you have used to summarise information to understand it, suggest search terms, ask for examples, suggest counterarguments, or help you understand your assessment. 
     

    If you create and use a search strategy using an Al tool and document the search strategy in your assessment, you will need to cite and reference it. The author would be the Al tool you have used.

    Research projects

    If you have been granted approval to use generative AI tools in your research project, you must cite and reference the AI tool as well as keep a record of how you used the tool including prompts and outputs. Refer to the generative AI advice offered for different referencing styles on the Cite Them Right website. The author would be the AI tool you have used.  

  • Finding information

    While you can use generative AI tools to help find information, because of its unreliability you will need to check the validity of all information and any citations to the original sources produced by AI tools.  This is explored in the RISE study pack with Verifying information.

    The Library provides support with: 

    Using AI to generate examples, explanations, definitions and illustrations  

    You should be cautious about using information generated by an AI tool to support your arguments within an assessment. Instead, academic good practice would be that you look for an alternative authoritative source.

    For example, if you needed an explanation or definition of a concept you could prompt one from an AI tool, but it is unlikely to be appropriate for your discipline specific assessment needs and you must not cite and reference it in your work. 

     One example where you must cite and reference the AI tool would be if you were investigating AI tools’ outputs themselves and wanted to compare and contrast AI’s definitions about a concept or subject with more traditional and recognised sources. 

  • Planning

    You do not need to cite and reference AI tools that you have used to help plan your work.

    There is guidance from Academic and Study Skills on using AI for planning and structuring your work available on Moodle. This includes:

    However, if you have included an image of any planning stage e.g., mind map or something similar you must cite and reference it.  Follow the guidance in the ‘Creating content’ section about ‘Images’ and ‘Including image captions and AI prompts’.

  • Creating content

    Text 

    Summarising or paraphrasing source material   

    If you intend to summarise or paraphrase sources for your work you will need to engage with, and critically evaluate, the sources you choose to use in your work (each of which you would cite and reference). Summarising and paraphrasing require you to put things into your own words and is a demonstration of your understanding of the source material.  

    You do not need to cite and reference AI tools if you have used them to summarise or paraphrase information for your personal understanding only. 

    The Cite Them Right website also provides further information about summarising and paraphrasing (focused on the Harvard style but also generally informative).  

    There is further help available from Study Skills with a video: Paraphrasing and Referencing.    

    Directly quoting 

    Ordinarily, you would not include direct quotes from a generative AI tool in your assessments. They can be inaccurate or fabricated, so it is academic best practice to use more reliable sources. 

    You must cite and reference the AI tool if you want to include a quotation from the generative AI output but this would be an exceptional case such as if you are critiquing or reflecting on outputs from a generative AI tool. Refer to the generative AI advice offered for different referencing styles on the Cite Them Right website. The author would be the AI tool you have used.  

    Images 

    You must cite and reference the AI tool If you are using images for illustrative purposes within a larger body of work (for example a report or for presentation slides).  Follow the Cite Them Right guidance for the referencing style your department uses. See the Referencing help guidance on this page. 

    School of Art and Fashion Institute students list images separately from their other references.  For guidance, visit How do I include images in my work? 

    Including image captions and AI prompts 

    You must cite and reference when including an AI-generated image (or any other AI-generated media such as graphs, charts, audio clips, mind maps, videos and code) in your submitted assessments.  In addition, you will also need to place a caption (or figure) beneath the image in your work.  It is good academic practice to also include a note of the prompt you have used for the AI tool to generate the image.   For example: 

    • Figure 1. An AI-generated image of a dog reading a book with glasses (Microsoft Copilot, 17 May 2024). Note: Image generated using Microsoft Copilot from the prompt a dog wearing glasses reading a book.   
    AI images you have adapted

    If you have subsequently adapted an image generated by an AI tool, then you will need to make this explicit in your writing or in the caption beneath the image in your work. You may wish to use a statement such as:   

    • Figure 1. An AI-generated image of a dog reading a book with glasses – further adapted by the author (Microsoft Copilot, 17 May 2024). Note: Image generated using Microsoft Copilot from the prompt a dog wearing glasses reading a book.  

    Code

    If using AI tools to generate code or Excel formulas you must cite and reference the AI tool and refer to the ‘computer programs’ advice offered for different referencing styles on the Cite Them Right website. The author would be the AI tool you have used.   

    Video

    You must cite and reference the video you have created using AI. Refer to the generative AI advice offered for different referencing styles on the Cite Them Right website. The author would be the AI tool you have used.  

    The elements to include in your reference list entry would usually include: 

    • name of the AI tool
    • year
    • title of the output
    • medium
    • URL (if there is one)
    • the date accessed

    It is important that you detail the prompt you have used. You can do this in a note after the reference or it may form part of the reference depending upon the referencing style you are using.   

    If you have subsequently edited a video generated by an AI tool you need to make this explicit in your writing and in the entry in your reference list. You would do this by detailing the edits you have made to the video in a note after the reference or it may form part of the reference depending upon the referencing style you are using. For example:

    •  Figure 2. An AI-generated video of a rabbit reading a book wearing sunglasses – further adapted by the author (Pictory.ai, 24 July 2024). Note: Image generated using Pictory.ai from the prompt a rabbit wearing sunglasses reading a book and adapted using Adobe Premiere Pro.  

  • Creative work

    You must cite and reference the AI tool you have used for creative pieces as you need to document the creative process.  Please refer to the computer programs advice offered for different referencing styles on the Cite Them Right website.

    The author would be the AI tool you have used.  You would create a separate appendix where you record details of prompts and/or transcripts of engagement to create your work.  You would then refer the reader to the appendix by writing, for example (see Appendix A) in your work.

  • Proofreading and editing

    You do not need to cite and reference an AI tool that you have used to provide feedback on your work.  You will, as the decision-maker, have considered the feedback and then decided whether to act on it rather than uploading your assessment to an AI tool and having it re-word or make substantial edits for you. 

    There is study skills guidance for strategies around editing and proofreading generally here: Editing and proofreading screencast.

    Guidance on using AI for feedback on your writing is here:  Screencasts of Academic and Study Skills Workshops.