Skip to Main Content

Vancouver referencing style

Vancouver - numbered referencing style

Using generative AI in your assignments

Confirm with your course coordinator or check your course profile before using Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) in your assessment. Some assessment pieces do not permit the use of AI tools, while others may allow AI with some limitations. If you use AI in your assessment without permission or appropriate acknowledgment it may be considered Academic Misconduct.

Any permitted use of generative AI for assessment must be acknowledged appropriately. Your course coordinator will provide guidance on how to reference the use of AI tools. Some examples include:  

  • an assignment coversheet 
  • citing or referencing in the text or list of references
  • inclusion in your methodology
  • an appendix including a full transcript of any prompts and AI-generated responses.

Risks with using information from generative AI tools

AI models sometimes produce incorrect, biased or outdated information. Verify the accuracy of AI-generated content using reliable sources before including it in your work.

Additionally, there may be legal or ethical issues to consider when using AI. Works created by non-humans are not eligible for copyright protection under Australian law. If you intend to publish work incorporating AI-generated content, check the publisher guidelines about what is allowed.

When interacting with AI models, you should be cautious about supplying sensitive information, including personal, confidential or propriety information or data.

 Find out more about using AI tools in your studies.

Cite generative AI

Where an assignment requires the use of generative AI tools to be cited, you must reference all the content from Generative AI tools that you include. Failure to reference externally sourced, non-original work can result in Academic misconduct.

References should provide clear and accurate information for each source and should identify where they have been used in your work.

Content from generative AI is a nonrecoverable source as it can't be retrieved or linked.

Citing ChatGPT and other generative AI in Vancouver

The text of your document must include:

  • Type of communication
  • Communicator
  • Date in this format (Day Month Year)

In an online chat with OpenAI's ChatGPT AI language model (7 February 2023) ...

Acknowledge your use of ChatGPT or other generative AI

You should acknowledge that you used generative AI in submitted assessment, including where you have directly quoted or paraphrased generative AI content or used tools to summarise readings, brainstorm ideas, plan your process, or for editing or proofreading purposes. It is recommended that you use an assignment coversheet to acknowledge your use of generative AI tools.

You should include the following information when acknowledging the use of generative AI tools:

  • Gen AI system (e.g. Copilot, Chat-GPT, Claude, Google AI)
  • description of how you used the tool (e.g. edited/corrected/translated/planned/brainstormed)
  • prompt(s) used
  • part, section or page of the assessment piece
  • date.

Machine Translation for assignments provides more detailed guidance for acknowledging the use of translation tools.

Example coversheet

This coversheet is an example of good practice in acknowledging the use of AI tools. Courses across UQ may have specific guidance you should follow on how to acknowledge the use of AI.

Acknowledgment

Yes. Generative AI and/or machine translation tools have been used to generate material in this document.

Details of use

Tool Use Prompt(s) Section Date
ChatGPT 4o Initial idea generation that I adapted Brainstorm ideas around how sustainable development goals can be applied locally Framework on p 18 25 October 2024
Claude 3.5 Generating a draft conclusion that I adapted Provide a summary of Chapters 3, 4, and 5 Conclusions (p 30, 31)   25 October 2024
Grammarly EDU  Used to check spelling and grammar and edit my final document Enhance my text to improve clarity and expression Entire work 8 November 2024
Microsoft Copilot Used to modify the written tone/style of the introduction Rewrite this paragraph so that the tone is appropriate for a university assignment   Introduction (p 2) 8 November 2024

Cite generative AI for publication

Different publishers are taking different approaches to whether generative AI is allowed.

If you are writing for publication, you should check the publisher's information for authors.