Imperial

Library Services / Generative AI guidance

• 发布单位Publishing unit Imperial College London
• 官方来源Official source https://www.imperial.ac.uk/admin-services/library/learning-support/generative-ai-guidance/

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Generative AI guidance

About Generative AI

Generative AI tools automatically create content, including text, code, images, and more, based on user prompts. Text-focused tools are known as Large Language Models (LLMs) and use collections of existing data to predict outputs. They offer rapid content generation but can produce unreliable outputs, making them unsuitable for unverified academic use.

For a list of Imperial-supported Gen AI tools, please see the

ICT Training and resources page

.

Appropriate academic use of generative

AI

Consider use of AI outputs as a starting point for research only and rely on academic sources such as databases and peer-reviewed sources. Developing critical thinking and evaluation skills is a key aspect of your education at Imperial.

It is very important that as a student you review your department’s current policy on appropriate use and disclosure of generative AI in academic work.

If you use generative AI as a search tool, be sure to verify all information and cite any material you use for academic purposes.

Guard against AI “hallucinations” by fact-checking every statement before use.^{摘录Excerpt核实责任Verification duty}

Preserve your own voice in written work - uncritical AI use often yields generic, superficial text lacking true insight and will not demonstrate learning or substantial communication.^{学习理由Learning rationale}

Imperial guidance and support

Review your department’s current policy on using and disclosing generative AI in academic work.

Consult your

Subject Librarian and library resources for advice on evaluating and selecting scholarly sources.

Refer to the guidance below as well as the library’s reference management pages for acknowledgement and referencing guidance.

Unless explicitly authorised, using AI to create assessed work may be treated as an offence such as contract cheating^{默认规则Default rule} under Imperial’s^{违规定性Integrity framing}

Plagiarism, Academic Integrity & Exam Offences regulations.

Familiarise yourself with

Imperial’s Academic Misconduct Policy for rules on appropriate AI usage.

Acknowledging and referencing use of generative AI tool s

Acknowledging

A statement of acknowledgment shows the reader which AI tool you used and for what specific purpose. You should include a statement to acknowledge your use of generative AI tools for all assessed work^{披露要求Disclosure}, in accordance with guidelines from your department or course team.

This statement should be written in complete sentences and include the following information:

Name and version of the generative AI tool e.g.

Copilot,

ChatGPT-5.6

Publisher (name of company that provides the AI system) e.g. Microsoft, OpenAI

URL of the AI tool

Brief description (single sentence) of the way in which the tool was used

(e.g. summarising notes, generating outlines)

Confirmation that the work is your own

Example:

I acknowledge the use of Microsoft Copilot (https://copilot.cloud.microsoft) to generate an outline for background study. I confirm that no content generated by AI has been presented as my own work.

Further requirements may be stipulated for a particular piece of assessed work where AI tools are allowed or required^{分级许可Tiered scale}. This must be made clear to students when it is set.^{课程规则优先Instructor override} If unclear, please clarify with your module leader. Additional requirements may include expanded description in the ‘Acknowledgements’ or ‘Methods’ section, such as:

If relevant, the prompt(s) used to generate a response in the AI system.^{过程留证Process evidence}

The date the output was generated.

The output obtained (e.g. a ‘link to chat’ if ChatGPT, or a compilation of all output generated as an appendix).

How the output was changed for use or incorporation into a piece of work (e.g. a tracked-changes document or a descriptive paragraph).

Referencing

Referencing guidance is provided for Harvard and Vancouver referencing styles on the following pages:

Your reference list and bibliography – Harvard

Your reference list and bibliography – Vancouver

Additional resources

Link to GenAI student course

Introduction to GenAI student course – revised for 2026

Have you completed Imperial's Introduction to Generative AI course yet? This short, Imperial-produced training experience is for all students, and may answer many of the questions you might have about how GenAI interacts with your studies.

Generative AI and Study Guidance Hub

• 发布单位Publishing unit Imperial College London
• 官方来源Official source https://www.imperial.ac.uk/students/academic-support/ai-and-study-guidance-hub/

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Generative AI and Study Guidance Hub

Have you checked out ICT's helpful guidance for the use of GenAI tools?

Welcome to the Generative AI and Study Guidance Hub, a resource for Imperial's student community about the use of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) at the university.

What is Generative AI?

GenAI creates new content from user prompts based on patterns from existing collections of data.

Several natural language processing models have come to prominence, such as

Microsoft Copilot

. These models demonstrate a huge step forward in accessible forms of genAI which will develop substantially and quickly in the years to come. In fact, they will likely grow to become a tool we use frequently in our everyday lives.

For students, we anticipate that these genAI models present you with opportunities to explore new ways of studying and learning. For Imperial, there will be opportunities to further improve the quality of the teaching and assessment we offer on your degree programme.

You can also check out dAIsy – Imperial's new AI platform

, designed to give you safe, easy access to multiple generative AI models (such as GPT, Claude, Deepseek, and others) through a single interface. It's built to support teaching, learning, and research while ensuring data protection and institutional compliance.^{机构工具Institutional tools}

How can I find out more and get trained up?

Have you completed Imperial's Introduction to Generative AI course yet? It is a short, Imperial-produced training experience for all students, and may answer many of the questions you might have about how genAI interacts with your studies.

It is available for:

Faculty of Medicine students

Faculty of Natural Sciences

Faculty of Engineering

Imperial Business School

All students who may be unaffiliated with any specific faculty

You might also wish to browse the

Imperial Generative AI checklist

, to ensure you have familiarised yourself with all the ways genAI can impact your studies.

Imperial's approach to Generative AI

Imperial’s

Generative AI principles established the core v alues used by the university when interacting with genAI tools. They prompt thinking and aid approaches to using this technology in thoughtful an d inform ed ways.

Further information, guidance, and support

Guidance for students

Library Services have collated FAQs, referencing support, and additional resources. These are intended to be considered alongside Imperial's introductory course, genAI principles, and departmental guidance.

Introduction to Generative AI – Revised for 2026

An online tutorial has been developed to help you answer any initial questions you may have on the use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) in your studies. This is an updated version of the tutorial from 2025.

Guidance from departments

Departments may take differing views on how genAI is best applied in teaching and assessment environments. It is recommended that you speak with staff to establish how genAI might interact with your programme.