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ChatGPT Quick Guide for Faculty

Chat GPT's Cautionary Note About Citing ChatGPT

Cautionary Statement for College Instructors Regarding Citing ChatGPT Lack of Verifiable Sources: ChatGPT's responses are not linked to specific, verifiable sources. Citing such content prevents readers from tracing information back to original, authoritative references, which is a critical aspect of academic scholarship. No Peer Review or Authority: ChatGPT does not produce information that has been peer-reviewed or vetted by experts. Academic writing depends on authoritative sources that have undergone rigorous review, which AI-generated content does not provide. Unstable and Non-Reproducible: Responses from ChatGPT may vary even when similar prompts are used. This inconsistency means that citations to ChatGPT do not offer the reproducibility necessary for academic research and writing. Lack of Accountability: AI-generated content lacks a clear author who can be held accountable for the accuracy or reliability of the information. In contrast, academic sources provide clear authorship, which is essential for accountability and credibility in research. Undermines Academic Rigor: Citing AI-generated content risks lowering the standard of academic work, as it bypasses the critical use of scholarly sources. Students should be guided to use AI tools as supplementary aids, not as primary sources for research and citations. Instructors should emphasize the importance of using credible, peer-reviewed sources in academic writing and caution against relying on AI-generated content for citations.

 

Attributing vs. Citing ChatGPT

Key Distinctions:

  • Attribution Statement: Acknowledges the use of ChatGPT (e.g. to generate ideas in a brainstorming session).

  • Citation: Used when quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing content generated by ChatGPT.  

Example of an Attribution Statement:

“I used ChatGPT, a large language model created by OpenAI, to help brainstorm ideas for the structure of this paper.”

Tip: Students will benefit if an instructor provides clear guidance on the permissible uses of ChatGPT for a given assignment, as well as where the attribution statement should be placed.