Acknowledging Gen AI use in your assessments
Guiding principle 2 for using Generative AI (GenAI):
Clearly acknowledge and document how you have used GenAI tools.
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Referencing Gen AI
You don’t need to reference GenAI in the same way as you reference academic sources as the content can’t be reproduced. But you should always acknowledge your use of GenAI.
If you have used GenAI to assist with your assessments, you must include a clear statement of acknowledgement at the end of your work directly before the reference list. For example, if you used a GenAI tool to generate ideas, structure your essay, or check your grammar, you should mention this in your work. This ensures the person marking your work understands how you produced your assessment, can accurately assess your work and helps you maintain academic integrity.
Please check with your tutor whether the GenAI acknowledgement statement is included in the word count. In most cases, it is not.
How to write your Gen AI acknowledgement statement
Use this structure as a guide to write your GenAI acknowledgement statement:
- What you did: Describe how you used the tool
- Why you did it: Explain your reason or goal
- How you verified it: Show how you checked the information before using it
Examples of an appropriate statement
Example 1
‘I used ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025) to help generate initial ideas for the structure and themes of this essay on social class and educational inequality. I asked ChatGPT to provide definitions of key terms such as ‘cultural capital’ and ‘structural inequality’, and to suggest examples of how these concepts are used in sociological research. I then verified the accuracy of these definitions by consulting peer-reviewed sources such as The British Journal of Sociology and Giddens and Sutton’s Sociology (2021) and used the confirmed information to inform the content of Sections 1 and 2.’
Example 2
‘I used Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft, 2025) to help structure this essay on the role of reflective practice in clinical decision-making. I asked Copilot to summarise the key stages of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle and to suggest examples of its application in nursing contexts. I cross-checked the accuracy of this information using academic sources such as The Nursing Times and Jasper’s Beginning Reflective Practice (2013) and used the verified material to inform the content of Section 3.’
Final note on Academic Integrity
Provided you follow this approach, your use of generative AI is unlikely to breach the University's academic integrity policy. The key principle is that you must be able to take full responsibility for the final submission and clearly explain how GenAI tools supported (not generated) your work. The exact wording of your statement will depend on how you used GenAI.
If you are unsure whether your use of GenAI is appropriate, or how to acknowledge it correctly, please speak with your lecturer.
Tips for using Gen AI appropriately
- If GenAI suggests journal articles, go and find them in the Library Search so that you know that the article exists and can reference it correctly. In this case your reference would be the article itself, not GenAI.
- If GenAI suggests ideas that you would like to use in your assessed work, use Library Search to find articles and books that support what GenAI is saying. You can then reference the resources found in Library Search rather than GenAI.
NOTE: any use of GenAI in work that you submit for assessment must fall within the guidance given in your assessment brief. (See guiding principle 1: Always follow the guidance on using GenAI provided in your assessment brief)