Library Guides: Generative Artificial Intelligence : Fake Citations

Beware of Fake Citations

When using Generative AI, it's important to know it can produce incorrect citations

Here is an example of how Chat GPT can produce fake citations:

While American Journal of Preventative Medicine and European Journal of Homelessness are real journals, the articles do not exist!

ChatGPT and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI): Incorrect bibliographic references
From University of Waterloo, this guide provides an example of how Gen AI can hallucinate citations.

Disclaimer

It's important to note that the information provided here serves as a general guide. Generative AI might not be allowed in your courses or assignments. If your instructor offers specific guidelines that differ from the information presented here, it's crucial to adhere to your instructor's directives.

How to Spot a Fake Citation

Here is a list of tops to help identify a fake citation

Conduct a search for the title of the journal using Google Scholar or the Library's "Search Everything tool" Put the title in quotation marks when searching so that all words are found together, for example: “Journal of AI”. Sometimes the journal does not exist!
If you have found the journal, locate the article by searching for the volume, issue and/or page numbers noted in the citation. Sometimes the journal may exist but not the article
If you aren’t sure, contact the Library for help in determining if a citation is fake or not.

Deep Fakes

While Deep Fakes are not exclusive to the world of generative AI, generative AI makes it easier and faster to enable and create Deep Fakes. Learn more in this brief video.

Deep Fakes (3 min.) | Commoncraft