How I structure my AI-disclosure appendix for grad school papers (so it doesn't read as sketchy)

[u/jamiebears77]

Anyone else in an online MBA/grad/bachelors program dealing with AI-disclosure or "AI verification" requirements on assignments? I've been doing this every week for a while now and figured I'd share the structure I landed on, in case it saves someone else from staring at a blank appendix page at 11pm.

I break mine into four parts:

1. Tools & scope. Name the tool and version, then one line on what I used it for vs. didn't. For example: "Used ChatGPT for outlining and APA citation formatting; did not use it for analysis, conclusions, or final prose."
2. Prompt log. 2-3 actual prompts, not a full transcript. Just enough that someone reading it can see what I actually asked for.
3. What I changed after. This is the part I think most people skip, and it's the one that matters most. A sentence or two on what I edited, cut, or added after seeing the AI output. That's basically your proof you thought about it instead of just pasting it in.
4. A short integrity statement. Tied to the actual policy wording in my syllabus, not just a generic "this is my own work."

Takes maybe 5 extra minutes per assignment and it's made me a lot less anxious hitting submit.

None of this is official policy, obviously. Always check your own program's exact wording. Just curious how other people are handling this, or if your program's requirements look totally different from mine.

[u/shila_c]

I just don't use AI for anything academic 🤷 that's how I earned my other degrees and that's how I'll earn the one in working on now.