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APA Style (Seventh edition)

This guide will assist students in learning APA style and applying it when writing and formatting papers and other course assignments.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)

Generative AI (GenAI) is artificial intelligence (AI) that can create content such as images, texts, video, sounds, code or other media.

Your instructor will decide what is reasonable use of GenAI in their classrooms and learning spaces. Always confirm with your instructor if GenAI tools are allowed for an assignment or activity. Unauthorized use of AI maybe considered academic misconduct. See NSCC Academic Integrity Policy and NSCC Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Policy for more information.

Considerations

  • GenAI tools use information from the web, often without citing or acknowledging original authors or creators in the output.

  • GenAI tools reflect the biases of their information sources and may produce incorrect, biased or outdated information (Peters, 2024; Konwar, 2024).

  • AI-generated content is nonrecoverable and may not be linked to original sources. Always verify its accuracy using other reliable sources.

  • Protect sensitive information, including personal, confidential or propriety information.

  • GenAI tools raises various copyright considerations. Refer to the NSCC Copyright & GenAI Subject Guide for more information.

Referencing & Citing GenAI

APA has provided updated best practices regarding using and citing generative AI in their 3-part series:

 

Citing an AI Tool - Basic Format

AI Company Name. (year). Tool Name/Model in Italics and Title Case [Description; e.g., Large language model]. URL of the tool

Description of APA Elements

Author: The name of the AI tool, which can be general or the name of the model.

Year: The year in which the AI tool was most recently updated.

Title: Name of the model + [Description of the tool].

Source: URL of the AI tool.

 

Examples
ChatGPT

Reference Entry

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT  [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

In-text

(OpenAI, 2025) OR OpenAI (2025)

 
Copilot

Reference Entry

Microsoft. (2025). Copilot [Large language model]. https://copilot.microsoft.com/

In-text

Microsoft (2025) OR (Microsoft, 2025)

 

Refer to the APA Style Blog for additional examples including How to Cite an AI Chat. 

GenAI Usage Statements

A GenAI Usage Statement provides a description of how you used GenAI. This approach supports your own learning, the ethical use of the information and upholds academic integrity (Paulson, 2024; University of Queensland, 2024).

Your instructor may request the following information to identify what GenAI tools were used and how they were used in your work:

  • The specific GenAI tool used (e.g. Copilot, Chat-GPT, Claude, Google AI).
  • How you used the tool (e.g. edited/corrected/translated/planned/brainstormed/created).
  • The prompt(s) you used to generate content.
  • The specific part, section or page of the assessment piece that was created using GenAI content.
  • The date(s) you used the tool.

 

GenAI Usage Statement Examples
  • I used AI (Copilot) to generate the initial text draft. I then reviewed, edited, and refined this draft to produce the final output.
  • I used AI (Google AI-Gemini) to locate and identify information sources for my research.
  • I wrote the initial text, and then used AI (Google AI-Gemini) to enhance the language, improve the style, and correct grammatical errors.
  • I used AI (Graphmaker) to create graphs and tables for my assignment with data I collected and provided.
  • I used AI (Adobe - Photoshop) to create images for my PowerPoint assignment.
  • I did not use AI tools in this submission. All content is written in my own words, except where properly cited. 

GenAI Evidence & Artifacts

To provide evidence to demonstrate how you used GenAI, consider collecting and saving the output or artifacts of your GenAI use.

The following examples demonstrate how to capture or document GenAI output should your instructor requests this information (Paulson, 2024):  

  • Save images of the GenAI interface during use showing your prompts and the GenAI output.
  • Record your prompts or questions and the GenAI’s responses and adjustments.
  • Be sure to identify which parts or sections of your work were generated or influenced by GenAI tools.
  • Provide a GenAI Usage Statement identifying each GenAI tool and how it was used within your assignment or work.

Generative AI in a Nutshell with Henrik Kniberg

Kniberg, H. (2024, January 20) Generative AI in a nutshell: How to survive and thrive in the age of AI [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/2IK3DFHRFfw?si=lsx8W6l5ZIueCCfp

References

References

Appel, G., Neelbauer, J., & Schweidel, D. A. (2023, April 7). Generative AI has an intellectual property problem. Harvard Business Review. https://

hbr.org/2023/04/generative-ai-has-an-intellectual-property-problem

Konwar, P. (2024, November 25). Safeguarding human rights and information integrity in the age of generative AI. UN Chronicle. https://

www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/safeguarding-human-rights-and-information-integrity-age-generative-ai

McAdoo, T. (2023, April 7). How to cite ChatGPT. APA Style Blog. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt

Paulson, E. (2024, November 11). Describe and document AI use. https://tlconestoga.ca/describe-and-document-ai-use/

Peters, M. (2024, October 17). Why generative AI models can be biased. GenAI Café. https://www.genai.cafe/why-generative-ai-models-can-be-

biased/

Queensland University. (2024). Generative AI tools for assignments. https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/generative-ai-tools-assignments

Sharpe, A. (n.d.). Citing generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). https://tlconestoga.ca/citing-artificial-intelligence-ai/