You should
See below for a specific example. And keep in mind: the MLA template of core elements is meant to provide flexibility in citation.
Full citations in MLA follow a standardized formula, although not all fields are necessary when you’re citing AI. Here is a short list of the core elements in an MLA citation, with descriptions of how they apply to AI specifically:
Example Citation:
You can cite ChatGPT in MLA using the instructions above. For quick references, here’s an MLA citation example for ChatGPT that you can use as a template.
Full citation in works cited page:
“Summarize the book The Shining” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-3.5, OpenAI, 30 Jun. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.
Parenthetical in-text citation:
(“Summarize the book”)
Where to find the link to your chat in ChatGPT:
When sharing the link for a citation in ChatGPT, make sure that you share the link through the share link icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page in ChatGPT and not the hyperlink at the top of the page.
With MLA style, you must include a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. A Works Cited page is an alphabetical listing of the resources cited in your paper. Below are some examples of MLA style citations. Note: Some instructors may require access dates for websites or other pieces of information. Please check with your instructor if you have any questions.
| Material Type | Works Cited |
|---|---|
| A book in print |
Card, Claudia. The Atrocity Paradigm: A Theory of Evil. Oxford UP, 2005. |
|
eBook |
Gaither, Milton. Homeschool: An American History. Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. SpringerLink, doi-org.pitt.idm.oclc.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95056-0 |
| An article in a print journal |
Doggart, Julia. "Minding the Gap: Realizing Our Ideal Community Writing Assistance Program." The Community Literacy Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, 2007, pp. 71-80. |
| An article in an electronic journal |
Sherrard-Johnson, Cherene. "'A Plea for Color': Nella Larsen's Iconography of the Mulatta." American Literature, vol. 76, no. 4, 2004, pp. 833-869, doi: 10.1215/00029831-76-4-833. |
| An encyclopedia entry |
“Patanjali.” Benét’s Reader’s Encyclopedia, edited by Bruce Murphy, 4th ed., HarperCollins Publishers, 1996, p. 782. |
| A government publication |
United States, Federal Maritime Commission. Hawaiian Trade Study: An Economic Analysis. Government Printing Office, 1978. |
| An interview you conducted | Brandt, Deborah. Personal interview. 28 May 2008. (Note: List the interview under the name of the interviewee) |
| A film or DVD | Note: This depends on the focus of your work. Please see the MLA Style blog for a detailed explanation. |
| A page on a website with no author |
"Stunning Lakeside View on Lake Erie." VisitPA, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 7 June 2018, www.visitpa.com/article/stunning-lakeside-views-lake-erie. |
| A page on a website with an author |
Del Castillo, Inigo. "How Not to Kill Your Houseplants, According to Botanists." Apartment Therapy, 29 Jan. 2020, www.apartmenttherapy.com/houseplant-tips-botanists-36710191. |
| Artwork accessed from a website |
Sherald, Amy. Former First Lady, Michelle Obama. 2018. National Portrait Gallery, npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2018.15. |
| Material Type | In-Text Citation |
|---|---|
| Author's name in text | Magny develops this argument (67-69). |
| Author's name in reference | This argument has been developed elsewhere (Magny 67-69). |
| Two authors' names in reference | The most notorious foreign lobby in Washington is the "Sugar Mafia" (Howe and Trott 134). |
| Quotation found in indirect or "secondhand" source | The philosopher Alain states that "admiration is not pleasure but a kind of attention. . ." (qtd. in Magny 66). |
These examples provided with permission from the University Library System, University of Pittsburgh.