The AGLC4 (Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th edition) is the official legal citation guide in Australia and is widely used by legal practitioners, law students and academics. The AGLC4 is the required referencing style for students enrolled in law programs within RMIT’s Graduate School of Business and Law.
The AGLC4 is a footnote referencing style. Superscript numbers 1,3,6 represent in-text citations, and the details are included in a footnote at the end of each page. Where a bibliography is required, it should list all the citations used and other sources that were relied upon, organised alphabetically in sections and placed at the end of your document.
The AGLC4 style is a collaboration between the Melbourne University Law Review and the Melbourne Journal of International Law. The official AGLC4 publication, which this guide is based on, is freely available to view and download from the publisher’s website (click on Download the view-only PDF version option).
Important: this is a guide only. To avoid losing marks, confirm referencing requirements with your educators.
The AGLC4 style consists of:
Footnotes to provide information about sources used in your work.
Within the text of your work, footnote numbers (using a superscript) are positioned after punctuation.
Footnotes appear at the end of each page of your work.
Use a full stop at the end of each footnote.
Separate multiple sources in a footnote with a semicolon (;).
A Pinpoint is the particular page, paragraph or chapter number from which you have sourced information.
The first time a source is cited, it is cited in full. Thereafter, it is appropriate to use either 'ibid' or 'n'. See AGLC section 1.4.
If a bibliography is required it should be provided at the end of the paper. Give details of each source mentioned in the text, as well as details of other sources consulted in preparing the paper.
In-text example
Recent developments in Australian law following the decision of the High Court in IceTV Pty Ltd v Network Nine Australia Pty Ltd illustrate a fundamental shift in the approach of courts regarding the importance and form of authorship.1
Footnote example
1 IceTV Pty Ltd v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd [2009] HCA 14.
A pinpoint reference within a footnote directs the reader to a particular place in the cited work:
For sources such as cases, books or journal articles, a pinpoint reference might refer the reader to a particular chapter, page or paragraph.
For legislative materials, pinpoint references can also refer to parts, sections, clauses or divisions.
A pinpoint reference is provided at the end of the footnote.
See section 3.1.4 of the AGLC4 (opens in a new tab) for a full list of abbreviations used in pinpoint references for legislative materials.
When a source is cited more than once in a paper the full bibliographic details should only be provided in the first instance.
The terms 'Ibid' and 'n' are used for repeat citations of the same work. In some circumstances, 'above (n)' or 'below (n)' are used to direct the reader to a specific part or reference within a text.
Using 'Ibid'
Use 'Ibid' in a footnote where the immediately preceding footnote refers to the same work. The exception to this rule is if a footnote lists more than one source (in this case use 'n'). If a footnote refers to the same work and to the same pinpoint reference, simply use 'Ibid'. The pinpoint reference does not need to be repeated in this case. If a footnote refers to the same work but to a different pinpoint reference, use 'Ibid' followed by the pinpoint reference.
1 IceTV Pty Ltd v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd [2009] HCA 14.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid HCA 15-16.
Using 'n'
Use ‘n’ to refer to a source that has been cited in a previous footnote other than the immediately preceding one.
If citing a source that has already been referred to then a shortened form of the citation should be provided (e.g. shortened author name or title), along with the footnote number (n) in parentheses. Also include the pinpoint if different from the first citation.
1 IceTV Pty Ltd v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd [2009] HCA 14.
...
4 IceTV (n 1) HCA 17.
Note: If referring to a specific part/s or reference/s within a text then use 'above (n)' or 'below (n)' where appropriate. See AGLC section 1.4.2 for further details.
5 See above n 1 and accompanying text.
6 See below n 7 Part II(A).
If a bibliography is required list all works referred to both in footnotes and in the body of your assignment, as well as all works consulted in writing your assignment.
The bibliography is divided into sections as outlined in AGLC 1.13:
A. Articles/Books/Reports
B. Cases
C. Legislation
D. Treaties
E. Other
Note: Organise items alphabetically under each heading.
Note that details provided in the bibliography are almost identical to details provided in the footnotes, with the following exceptions:
Invert the first author’s first name and family name and separate these with a comma.
Pinpoint references are not included; however, note that the starting page number for journal articles and cases is not a pinpoint and remains part of the citation.
There is no full stop at the end of a bibliography entry.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A Articles/Books
Bodkin, Colin, Patent Law in Australia (Thomson Reuters, 2nd ed, 2014)
Meagher, Dan, ‘Digital Sampling/Remix Culture Forum’ (2012) 17(2) Deakin Law Review 307
B Cases
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZIAI [2009] HCA 39
Roadshow Films Pty Limited v iiNet Limited (2012) 248 CLR 42
Walton v Gardiner (1993) 112 ALR 289
C Legislation
Copyright Act 1968 (Cth)
Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic)
D Other
Board of Examiners, Admission Requirements (18 February 2010) Council of Legal Information <http
Case name | Year | Volume | Report series | Starting page |
---|---|---|---|---|
Village Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd | (2012) | 286 | ALR | 466 |
Party names are italicised.
Where parties are individuals, given names and initials are omitted.
Where a party is a business corporation or firm, abbreviations such as Co (company), Ltd (Limited), and Pty (proprietary) are used.
Where the Crown is the first named party, Rex (the 'King') or Regina (the 'Queen') is abbreviated to 'R'.
Where the Crown is the respondent 'The King' or 'The Queen' is written in full.
Law report series are abbreviated.
The first page of the case should appear after the series details.
A full stop is used at the end of a footnote.
A full stop is not used in a bibliography.
Footnote examples
Type | Footnote example |
---|---|
Individual party names | 1 Smith v Smith [1948] 2 ALR 475. |
Company party names | 1 Village Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd (2012) 286 ALR 466. |
The Crown as the first party | 1 R v Milat (2005) 157 A Crim R 565. |
The Crown as respondent | 1 Smith v The Queen [2010] NSWCCA 325. |
Bibliography examples
Type | Bibliography example |
---|---|
Individual party names | Smith v Smith [1948] 2 ALR 475 |
Company party names | Village Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd (2012) 286 ALR 466 |
The Crown as the first party | R v Milat (2005) 157 A Crim R 565 |
The Crown as respondent | Smith v The Queen [2010] NSWCCA 325 |
A pinpoint reference is a reference to a specific page, paragraph or other section of a decision:
A pinpoint reference to a page should appear as a number – do not use 'p' or 'pg'.
A pinpoint reference to a paragraph should appear as a number in square brackets '[ ]'.
Example of a pinpoint reference to a page
1 Village Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd (2012) 286 ALR 466, 3.
Example of a pinpoint reference to a paragraph
1 Village Films Pty Ltd v iiNet Ltd (2012) 286 ALR 466, 488 [95].
Legal abbreviations for Australian and international law reports, law journals, legal organisations, courts, etc. can be accessed via the Monash University website (opens in a new tab).
Legal abbreviations for English language legal publications, from the British Isles, the Commonwealth and the United States can be accessed via the Cardiff University database (opens in a new tab).
Case name | [Year] | Court | Judgement no. | Full date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rowland v Alfred Health | [2014] | FCA | 2 | (15 January 2014) |
Unreported decisions utilise a 'medium neutral citation' that does not depend on a publisher or medium.
The party names are listed first and italicised.
The year is enclosed in square brackets '[ ]'.
Court identifiers are abbreviated. For example, FCA is used for Federal Court of Australia and HCA for the High Court of Australia.
Judgement numbers are commonly used, these are applied by the relevant court.
The full date of the judgement is in parentheses '( )'.
A full stop is used at the end of a footnote.
A full stop is not used in a bibliography.
Footnote examples
Type | Footnote example |
---|---|
Individual party names | 1 Stanford v Stanford [2012] HCA 52 (15 November 2012). |
Company party names | 1 Trusted Cloud Pty Ltd v Core Desktop Pty Ltd [2015] FCA 33 (3 February 2015). |
The Crown as the first party | 1 R v Coulter [2014] VSC 42 (27 February 2014). |
The Crown as respondent | 1 [2015] VSCA 5 (5 February 2015). |
Bibliography examples
Type | Bibliography example |
---|---|
Individual party names | Stanford v Stanford [2012] HCA 52 (15 November 2012) |
Company party names | Trusted Cloud Pty Ltd v Core Desktop Pty Ltd [2015] FCA 33 (3 February 2015) |
The Crown as the first party | R v Coulter [2014] VSC 42 (27 February 2014) |
The Crown as respondent | Picone v The Queen [2015] VSCA 5 (5 February 2015) |
A pinpoint reference is a reference to a specific page, paragraph or other section of a decision:
A pinpoint reference to a page should appear as a number – do not use 'p' or 'pg'.
A pinpoint reference to a paragraph should appear as a number in square brackets '[ ]'.
Example of a pinpoint reference to a page
1 Stanford v Stanford [2012] HCA 52 (15 November 2012) 22.
Example of a pinpoint reference to a paragraph
1 Stanford v Stanford [2012] HCA 52 (15 November 2012) [12].
Legal abbreviations for Australian and international law reports, law journals, legal organisations, courts, etc. can be accessed via the Monash University website (opens in a new tab).
Legal abbreviations for English language legal publications, from the British Isles, the Commonwealth and the United States can be accessed via the Cardiff University database (opens in a new tab).
Title | Year | Jurisdiction | Pinpoint |
---|---|---|---|
Copyright Act | 1968 | (Cth) | s 1 |
Footnote example
1 Climate Change Act 2010 (Vic).
Bibliography example
Climate Change Act 2010 (Vic)
A pinpoint reference is a reference to a specific page, paragraph or other section of an Act, or regulation.
Pinpoint references should appear as abbreviations and a number separated by a space.
Where referencing a section, separate the relevant reference with a space with an 's' but do not use a full stop.
Pinpoint example
Climate Change Act 2010 (Vic) pt 3 div 2 s 16
Commonwealth – Cth
Australian Capital Territory – ACT
New South Wales – NSW
Northern Territory – NT
Queensland – QLD
South Australia – SA
Tasmania – Tas
Victoria – Vic
Western Australia – WA
These rules apply when referencing both printed books and e-books.
Author | Title | Publication details | Pinpoint |
---|---|---|---|
Mathew Rimmer, | Intellectual Property and Biotechnology: Biological Inventions | (Edward Elgar, 2008) | 120-123 |
The name of the author should appear exactly as it does in the source.
If the publication is authored by a body (government department, corporation etc.) use that as the author.
The title of the book should appear in italics as it does on the title page.
A brief version of the publisher’s name should appear in parenthesis followed by publication year.
Where there are multiple editions of a book an edition number should be included after the publisher’s name (i.e. 3rd).
1 Mathew Rimmer, Intellectual Property and Biotechnology: Biological Inventions (Edward Elgar, 2008).
1 Mathew Rimmer, Intellectual Property and Biotechnology: Biological Inventions (Edward Elgar, 2008) 120-123.
When the citation appears in a bibliography, list the family name first. Sources should be listed in alphabetical order by family name.
Rimmer, Mathew, Intellectual Property and Biotechnology: Biological Inventions (Edward Elgar, 2008)
Use of edition number
Colin Bodkin, Patent Law in Australia (Thomson Reuters, 2nd ed, 2014)
Corporate author
Australian Law Reform Commission, Family Violence: a Legal Response: Summary Report (Australian Law Reform Commission, 2010)
These rules apply when referencing both printed books and e-books.
Author | Title | Publication details |
---|---|---|
Geoffrey A Manne and Joshua D Wright, | Competition Policy and Patent Law under Uncertainty Regulating Innovation | (Cambridge University Press, 2011) |
Where there are two or three authors, the names of all authors should be included and the word 'and' should separate the names of the last two authors.
If there are more than three authors, list the first named author followed by 'et al'.
Edited book
1 Belinda Bennett (ed), Globalization and Health (Springer, 2008).
Book with three authors
1 Damien J Cremean, Michael H Whitten and Michael F Sharkey, Brooking on building contracts: the law and practice relating to building and engineering agreements (LexisNexis Butterworths, 5th ed, 2014).
Book with four or more authors
1 Patrick Thomas George et al, Social Media and the Law (LexisNexis Butterworths, 2010).
1 Belinda Bennett (ed), Globalization and Health (Springer, 2008) 21.
When the citation appears in a bibliography, list the family name first. Sources should be listed in alphabetical order by family name.
Bennett, Belinda (ed), Globalization and Health (Springer, 2008)
These rules apply when referencing both printed books and e-books.
Author | Chapter title | in Author | Title | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
William Gough, | 'Securities over Debts' | in Gregory Burton (ed), | Directions in Finance Law | (Butterworths, 1990) |
When citing chapters in a book list the author and enclose the title of the chapter in single inverted commas - do not italicise the title.
Details of the book follow the same conventions for books with a single or multiple authors.
1 William Gough, 'Securities over Debts' in Gregory Burton (ed), Directions in Finance Law (Butterworths, 1990).
1 William Gough, 'Securities over Debts' in Gregory Burton (ed), Directions in Finance Law (Butterworths, 1990) 223.
When the citation appears in a bibliography, list the family name first. Sources should be listed in alphabetical order by family name.
Gough, William, 'Securities over Debts' in Gregory Burton (ed), Directions in Finance Law (Butterworths, 1990)
Publisher | Title | Date | Title no. and name | Chapter no. and name | Paragraph |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
LexisNexis, | Halsbury's Laws of Australia | (at 1 June 2011) | 90 Constitutional Law, | '6 Limitations on Legislative Powers' | [90-2226] |
1 LexisNexis, Halsbury's Laws of Australia (at 1 June 2011) 90 Constitutional Law, '6 Limitations on Legislative Powers' [90-2226].
LexisNexis, Halsbury's Laws of Australia (at 1 June 2011) 90 Constitutional Law, '6 Limitations on Legislative Powers'
Author | Title | Year | Vol. & Issue | Journal | Page |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dan Meagher, | 'Digital Sampling/Remix Culture Forum' | (2012) | 17 (2) | Deakin Law Review | 307 |
The name of the author appears first.
The title appears within single quotation marks (un-italicised).
The year appears in parentheses '( )'.
For journals organised by volume number, the volume number should follow the year.
The full title of the journal as it appears on the title page should appear in italics.
The number of the first page of an article should follow the title of the journal. No punctuation should separate the starting page from the title.
Do not use abbreviations for titles (use 'Australian Law Review' not ALR).
Articles from electronic journals should only be cited where a printed edition does not exist.
1 Dan Meagher, 'Digital Sampling/Remix Culture' (2012) 17(2) Deakin Law Review 307.
1 Dan Meagher, 'Digital Sampling/Remix Culture' (2012) 17(2) Deakin Law Review 307, 22.
Meagher, Dan, 'Digital Sampling/Remix Culture' (2012) 17(2) Deakin Law Review 307
Two authors | Title | Year | Vol. & Issue | Journal | Page |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Samantha Joseph and Erin Mackay, | 'Moral Rights and Indigenous Communities' | 2006 | 3 | Art and Law | 6 |
When citing the names of the authors, they should appear in the exact order as they are listed in the source material.
Where there are two or three authors, the names of all authors should be included and the word 'and' should separate the names of the last two authors.
Where there are more than three authors, the family name of the author appearing first on the source should be included, followed by 'et al'.
The title appears within single quotation marks (un-italicised).
The full title of the journal should appear as it does on the title page in italics.
Footnote example
1 Benjamin Hayward, John Morss and Oscar Roos, 'Beyond the Separation of Powers: Judicial Review and the Regulatory Proscription of Terrorist Organisations' (2010) 35 (1) University of Western Australia Law Review 81.
Pinpoint example
1 Benjamin Hayward, John Morss and Oscar Roos, 'Beyond the Separation of Powers: Judicial Review and the Regulatory Proscription of Terrorist Organisations' (2010) 35 (1) University of Western Australia Law Review 81, 83.
Bibliography example
Hayward, Benjamin, Morss, John and Roos, Oscar, 'Beyond the Separation of Powers: Judicial Review and the Regulatory Proscription of Terrorist Organisations' (2010) 35 (1) University of Western Australia Law Review 81
Footnote example
1 Gary Edmond et al, 'Law’s Looking Glass: Expert Identification Evidence Derived from Photographic and Video Images' (2009) 20 Current issues in Criminal Justice 337.
Pinpoint example
1 Gary Edmond et al, 'Law’s Looking Glass: Expert Identification Evidence Derived from Photographic and Video Images' (2009) 20 Current issues in Criminal Justice 337, 338.
Bibliography example
Edmond, Gary et al, 'Law’s Looking Glass: Expert Identification Evidence Derived from Photographic and Video Images' (2009) 20 Current issues in Criminal Justice 337
Author | Title | Newspaper | Place and Date | Pinpoint |
---|---|---|---|---|
Laura Tingle | 'Norway fund ponders dumping coal', | The Australian Financial Review, | (Sydney, 24 February 2015) | 8 |
The title of the article should appear un-italicised within single quotation marks.
The title of the newspaper should be italicised.
The place of publication is in parentheses '( )'.
The full date is noted.
1 Laura Tingle, 'Norway fund ponders dumping coal', The Australian Financial Review, (Sydney, 24 February 2015).
1 Laura Tingle, 'Norway fund ponders dumping coal', The Australian Financial Review, (Sydney, 24 February 2015) 8.
Tingle, Laura, 'Norway fund ponders dumping coal', The Australian Financial Review, (Sydney, 24 February 2015)
Author | Document title | Website name | Document type | Full date | URL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Board of Examiners, | 'Admission Requirements', | Council of Legal Information | (Web page, | 18 February 2010) | <http |
A source should only be cited like this if it does not exist in published form.
The author's name should be included if available on the webpage or document.
The title of the page or document cited should be included after the author’s name.
Where available, the full date of the last update of the page or document should be included.
The name of the general website where the document resides should be included if available.
The website address (URL) should be enclosed within '< >' symbols.
Footnote example
1 Board of Examiners, 'Admission Requirements', Council of Legal Information (18 February 2010) <http
://www.lawadmissions.vic.gov.au>.
Bibliography example
Board of Examiners, 'Admission Requirements', Council of Legal Information (18 February 2010) <http
://www.lawadmissions.vic.gov.au>
Title | (Production Company, Year) | Pinpoint |
---|---|---|
A Few Good Men | (Castle Rock Entertainment, 1992) | 1:15:25 |
The same convention applies for both film and sound recordings.
List the title first in italics.
Enclose the name of the production company and year of the recording in parentheses '( )'.
Pinpoint references should be at the point of time of the recording, and appear in the following format - hours: minutes: seconds.
1 A Few Good Men (Castle Rock Entertainment, 1992).
1 A Few Good Men (Castle Rock Entertainment, 1992) 1:15:25.
A Few Good Men (Castle Rock Entertainment, 1992)
Broadcaster | Title of segment | Name of program | Full date | Name of speaker |
---|---|---|---|---|
ABC Radio National, | 'Using evidence obtained in search warrants', | The Law Report, | 3 February 2015 | (Damian Carrick) |
List the name of the broadcaster first.
Enclose the title of the segment in single quotation marks.
Italicise the name of the program.
List the full date of the program.
The name of the speaker should be included in parentheses '( )'.
A URL may be included after the speaker’s name where the transcript is available online.
The webpage address (URL) should be enclosed within ‘< >’ symbols.
Footnote example
1 ABC Radio National, 'Using evidence obtained in search warrants', The Law Report, 3 February 2015, (Damian Carrick) <http
://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lawreport/surfers-paradise/6028122#transcript>.
Bibliography example
ABC Radio National, 'Using evidence obtained in search warrants', The Law Report, 3 February 2015, (Damian Carrick) <http
://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lawreport/surfers-paradise/6028122#transcript>
You should include the use of scholarly sources in your written assessments to adhere to best academic integrity practice. Citing yourself as an authority on your own opinion should be avoided.
Note: Check first with your lecturer, or teacher, if it is permissible to cite your previously submitted work.
Remember that when submitting work, you will be asked to agree to the Assessment Declaration (opens in a new tab).
The publication, Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th ed, 2018) does not provide guidelines on how to cite your own work. The following examples show how to cite your own work that you have previously submitted for assessment.
If you cite or quote your own previous work, treat yourself as the author and the title of your previous assessment as an unpublished paper.
Note: If your original work contained citations from other sources, you would need to include those same citations in the new work as well.
Include the following details:
Student name
'Title of previous work'
Unpublished paper
University
Month Year
For example, if Geoffrey Smith wanted to cite a paper they wrote at RMIT University in 2019, their footnote reference may look like this:
1 Geoffrey Smith, 'Australia's copyright law reforms' (unpublished paper, RMIT University, October 2019).
1 Geoffrey Smith, 'Australia's copyright law reforms' (unpublished paper, RMIT University, October 2019) 5.
Smith, Geoffrey, 'Australia's copyright law reforms' (unpublished paper, RMIT University, October 2019)
The educators within your courses can tell you if you are able to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in your assessment tasks, including how you can use the tools and what tools you can use. If you use any AI tools, you must appropriately acknowledge and reference the use of these tools and their outputs. Failure to reference the use of these tools can result in academic misconduct.
Please confirm with your course educator before using any AI tools in your assessment tasks.
Please note that the guidelines on how to reference AI tools have been updated on Monday the 26th of June 2023. This is in response to updated guidelines from the APA style manual editors, as well as the new ability to generate shareable URLs in some of the AI tools.
We have also created guidelines for referencing AI-generated images on the second part of this guide.
Introduction to AI tools that can generate text
AI tools that generate text, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, are large language models with a conversational type of interface, where you can ask a question, receive a detailed response and follow up with additional queries.
Some generative AI tools are not connected to the internet and are trained on data sets up to a specific time point. Other generative AI tools connect to the internet and will provide URL links to information. There are some points to consider when using the text generated by these tools:
The Learning Lab Artificial Intelligence Tools module has more information on how these AI tools work, and some points to consider when using them.
Copyright and non-human authors
Current copyright law only recognises humans as authors and creators. One of the moral rights associated with copyright is the right to be acknowledged as the author of a work. From a copyright perspective an AI tool cannot be recognised as the creator of a work, however it is important to explain that an AI tool was used in the creation of the work. This has informed our referencing guidance.
General acknowledgement that AI tools have been used in the creation of a work
In some assessment tasks, you may be able to use AI tools for background research, or to generate an outline for your essay or report (as stated earlier, please follow your educator's guidance before using any AI tools).. In this case, rather than citing and referencing specific text generated by AI tools, you will need to provide a general acknowledgement within the body or methods section of your text to explain that an AI tool was used in the creation of your work. Include as much detail as possible, including how you used the AI tool, the prompt used, the date you used the tool, and the name, creator and version of the AI tool.
Example: On the 26th June 2023, I used the May 24 version of OpenAI's ChatGPT to perform background research by using the following prompt "explain the difference between deep learning and machine learning".
Referencing specific text content generated by AI tools
Each of the referencing styles used at RMIT is based on a source style manual. More information on the source style manuals used for each style can be found in Easy Cite. Currently, only the editors of the APA style manual have provided advice on referencing AI-generated content. For the other referencing styles used at RMIT, we have created interim guidelines for referencing AI-generated content that we believe are the best match within that style. These may change in the future as the source style manuals develop or update their guidelines for referencing AI-generated content.
If you are referring to content generated by AI tools within your work, we recommend that you include the shareable link to the content if available, or otherwise include this AI-generated content as an appendix or supplemental information. It is also good practice to include the question or prompt that generated the response to provide context for your readers.
Two sets of reference guidelines are provided below for each style - one is for AI tools that include shareable URLs to the outputs generated from text prompts, which enables your readers to access the outputs themselves. The other is for AI tools that do not provide shareable links, meaning that the readers of your work cannot access the same information themselves.
Your course lecturer can tell you if you are able to use content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools in your assessment tasks, including AI-generated images. Please confirm with your course lecturer for a specific assessment task before using any AI tools.
If you are able to use AI tools in your assessment task, you need to appropriately acknowledge and reference all of the AI-generated content that you include. Failure to reference this AI-generated content can result in academic misconduct.
Please note that the information about using generative AI tools will continue to be updated - we recommend checking this guide regularly and confirming with your course lecturer if you are unsure.
Some generative AI tools have been trained on large numbers of existing images, and these tools can create new images based on prompts from users. The images created using these tools can be downloaded, but they are not published or reproducible in the AI platform. Images generated using AI tools such as Midjourney and DALL-E 2 are the topic of much debate. Current copyright law only recognises humans as authors. One of the moral rights associated with copyright is the right to be acknowledged as the author of a work. From a copyright perspective there is currently no obligation to recognise AI as the creator of a work, however it is important to explain that AI was used in the creation of the work.
AI-generated images are an emerging technology, and there are not yet clear guidelines for how to incorporate them into existing referencing styles such as APA 7th, Chicago, etc. Our current recommendation for how to reference AI-generated images varies for each referencing style, and is included below. Additionally, we recommend that you include the question or prompt that generated the image where possible, to provide context for your readers.
Please note that our recommendations for how to reference AI-generated content may change in the future as referencing style manuals are updated.
The Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th edition does not currently contain any guidelines for referencing AI-generated content, and the style guide does not include guidelines for referencing software.
Our interim advice is to reference AI-generated text as a written correspondence (section 7.12), as we believe this is the best match for the AGLC style. As generative AI tools are not considered authors from a copyright perspective, we recommend using language such as 'response generated using [the creator's AI tool]', rather than using the name of the tool as the author. Please note these guidelines may be updated in the future if the AGLC style manual editors release formal advice.
Footnote example - shareable URL generated by the AI tool:
Rule: Note number Correspondence generated using the AI tool to Recipient, full date, URL
Example: 1 Response generated using OpenAI's ChatGPT to Matt Smith, 23 June 2023, https://chat.openai.com/share/5a1327c0-e637-4b3c-a3db-c380b8008ca8.
Footnote example - non-shareable AI-generated content:
Rule: Note number Correspondence generated using the AI tool to Recipient, full date, Appendix.
Example: 1 Response generated using Anthropic's Claude to Matt Smith, 24 January 2024, see Appendix A for prompt used and output generated.
The Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th edition does not specifically contain information about citing and referencing images. The information below is a suggested caption format if including an image that you have produced using an AI tool, as well as guidelines for referencing AI-generated images reproduced from published sources.
How to reference images that you produce using an AI tool:
Include the image in your work with a caption that explains that the work was generated using an AI tool, and what prompt was used.
Example:
Figure 1. Image generated using Adobe Firefly from the prompt a law student at university.
How to reference AI-generated images reproduced in a published source:
If using reproduced images, reference the published source, using a numbered in-text citation that matches the corresponding note entry. If including the AI-generated image in your work, include information and a numbered citation in the figure caption below the image.
Caption
Rule: Figure number. Description of figure [note number]
Example: Figure 1. An AI-generated image took first place in the digital category at the Colorado State Fair [1]
Footnote entry:
Reference the published source according to the relevant source guidelines. The example below is an electronic newspaper article.
Example: 1. Kevin Roose, 'An A.I.-Generated Picture Won an Art Prize. Artists Aren’t Happy.' The New York Times (online, 2 September 2022) < https
The styles included are RMIT Harvard, AGLC4, APA, Chicago A: footnotes and bibliography, Chicago B: author-date, IEEE, and Vancouver.
Easy Cite includes as many examples of reference types as possible. If the style guides shown here do not include your specific reference or citation type, consider applying the format from similar types within Easy Cite for your reference and citation, or check the relevant style manual.
Easy Cite is intended as a guide only and some styles are open to interpretation. You should always check with your instructor to ensure you are using the correct style for your assignments and assessment tasks.
Visit the Learning Lab Referencing Tutorial (opens in a new tab) and find out how to correctly use different referencing styles in academic writing to avoid plagiarism and get better marks.
Easy Cite referencing guide by RMIT University Library is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
This resource is derived from a work by Swinburne University Library, based on an original work by Griffith University Library.
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