Citing AI Work

Citing an AI tool is just like giving credit to a book or website; it shows exactly how a source provided help during the learning process. According to the Lexington One AI Use Scale, proper citation ensures that the student's unique human voice remains the center of the work. Disclosing AI use does not imply cheating. Instead, it demonstrates academic integrity, proving that the student used the technology responsibly as a strategic partner.

When you use a tool like Google Gemini or NotebookLM to help you brainstorm or organize, a standard citation or disclosure statement generally includes:

• The Tool Used: (e.g., Google Gemini Pro or NotebookLM)

• The Date: The exact day you interacted with the model.

• The Prompt Engineered: A brief mention or copy of the prompt you used to get the result.

• Your Contribution: A quick note on how you changed, verified, or built upon the AI's output.

Best Practices

• Save your transcripts: Keep a record of full chat logs or use shareable links so others can verify the information.

• Check original sources: If the AI cites a book, article, or website, locate the original source and cite it instead of the AI.

If a teacher requires an AI disclosure statement according to the AI Use Scale, here are some examples to pull from. 

• Brainstorming Partner: "I used Google Gemini to help me brainstorm five unique angles for this essay topic. I selected the best angle, wrote the entire paper myself, and fact-checked all the historical details against my textbook."

• Feedback & Review: "I used Google Gemini to proofread my draft and point out weak transition words. I manually chose which suggestions to accept and kept my original voice at the center of the project."

• Image Attribution: "This visual diagram was generated using Google Gemini's NanoBanana tool on June 4, 2026, using the prompt: 'Create a retro poster layout of the water cycle.' Text overlays were manually edited and fact-checked against our Earth Science textbook."

MLA prioritizes the exact prompt used as the title of the source.

• Works Cited Format: "Shortened Version of Prompt" prompt. Title of AI Tool, Version/Model, Publisher/Company, Date generated, URL.

• In-Text Citation: (“Overview of ethical arguments about forgiveness”)

• Image Citations: Exact text of image prompt" prompt. Title of Tool/Model, Parent Company, Date the image was generated. (Specify the type of medium at the end, e.g., Image generation or Infographic).

• Examples: 

  1. 1. • "Explain the causes of the French Revolution using a simple three-point outline" prompt. Gemini, version 1.5 Flash, Google, 12 Mar. 2026, https://gemini.google.com.

        • "Summarize the key findings from my uploaded lab notes on photosynthesis" prompt. NotebookLM, Google, 22 Apr. 2026, https://notebooklm.google.com.

        • Example A 3D diagram of a plant cell with labeled chloroplasts and cell wall, clean graphic design style" prompt. NanoBanana Pro via Google Gemini, Google, 14 May 2026. AI-generated infographic.

APA views the AI platform's parent company as the author.

• References Format (For a specific shared chat): 

AI Company Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of chat in italics [Generative AI chat]. Tool Name/Model. URL of the chat.

• 1. 1. 1. • Example: Google. (2026, February 10). Essential writing skills for graduates [Generative AI chat]. Gemini 3 Flash. https://gemini.google.com/share/c6ac3628eb98.

• In-Text Parenthetical Citation: (Google, 2026)

• In-Text Narrative Citation: Google (2026)

• Image Format:
  Author/Company. (Year). Description of the image or prompt used as title [Generative AI image]. Name of specific model. URL of the platform.

• Example:
  Google. (2026). Vibrant abstract pattern of overlapping geometric shapes representing an ecosystem web [Generative AI image]. NanoBanana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash). https://gemini.google.com/.

Last Edited: August 26, 2026