Research Guides: APA (7th ed.) Citation Guide for Health Sciences: Unretrievable Sources: ChatGPT, Patient Records & Personal Communications

AI Tools

"The results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although nonretrievable data or quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications, with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation"

McAdoo, T., (2024 Feb 23). How to Cite ChatGPT. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt.

Author of large language model/algorithm/software. (Year). Name of the model (version) [additional description of tool/resource being cited]. URL used to access model/software.

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

In text:

Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)

Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

For detailed advice on how to incorporate the work created by an AI tool into your own writing, including how to quote / paraphrase it, see McAdoo's blog post referenced above, at: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt.

Patient Records

APA doesn't specifically tackle how to cite patient charts or medical records, but logic dictates that these should be treated like a non retrievable source that is confidential in nature.

This means that such documents cannot be added to your reference list as the reader will not and should not be able to access a patient's chart or records.

As for the in-text citation - the need for patient confidentiality means that these should not be provided either, as your source's name (e.g., the patient) cannot be given for privacy reasons.

In this scenario you could describe the patient in generic terms, e.g., "The patient's medical chart contained a note about the patient's anxiety about receiving treatment" (MSU Libraries. APA Guide 7th edn: Data).

Personal Communications

"Works that cannot be recovered by readers (i.e., works without a source element) are cited as personal communications. Personal communications include emails, text messages, online chats or direct messages, personal interviews, telephone conversations, live speeches, unrecorded classroom lectures, memos, letters, messages from nonarchived discussion groups or online bulletin boards, and so on.

Use a personal communication citation only when a recoverable source is not available."

(APA Publication Manual, 7th ed., p. 260)

As the reader will not be able to retrieve your personal communications do not include them in your reference list. Provided the source isn't confidential, e.g., a patient, provide the initial(s) and surname of your source, and the fullest date possible.