Citation is a straightforward notification that an AI tool was used or referenced in the writing but is also used to reference any content generated by those tools. Different citation styles offer templates for doing so. It is generally recommended to include the text of the prompt, either in text or as part of the citation.
Individual publishers may have specific requirements, and you should check them before submission of a manuscript. In general, you do not list an AI tool or assistant as an author, as non-humans generally do not satisfy authorship criteria. In addition, publishers are in general more permissive of AI-generated text than AI-generated images. Publishers also generally do not allow the use of generate AI for peer-review, as the manuscripts under review are confidential documents.
Acknowledgement is a more comprehensive and transparent way to disclose how AI contributed to a piece of writing. This may be required when submitting work to publishers.
Information included in such acknowledgments may include elements common to a citation:
The name, version, and link of the tool
Date used
Full text of prompt used
Full text of original output
Any modifications made to the output
Acknowledgements can also include when and how the AI tool was used (or not used) in various parts of the research and writing process:
Conceptualization of research idea or hypothesis
Project administration or management
Literature review, analysis, and classification
Methodology design, process, and instrument
Data management and presentation of results:
Curation and storage
Analysis and coding
Privacy and security
Visualization
Interpretation and discussion of results
Writing the abstract and manuscript:
Drafting
Review and editing
Translation