Background
As an advanced user leveraging ChatGPT 4.5 for deep research and structured analysis, I rely on citations extensively. The current default citation format—visually appealing, clickable pill-shaped buttons—works well for UI-friendly interactions but does not integrate cleanly into my workflow.
When copying content, these citations generate unnecessary syntax and require significant manual cleanup. Since my work requires formatting references according to AMA, APSA, APA, and Chicago citation standards, I need a plain-text citation option that aligns with these requirements.
Proposed Solution
• Toggle to disable UI-friendly citation buttons
• Enable fully plain-text citations (full URLs in parentheses)
• Optional structured citation formatting (AMA, APSA, APA, etc.)
This would significantly reduce friction for researchers, analysts, and academic users who extract citations into external documents or structured reference management systems. The Agent would also be able to take unique guidance such as: “Place the URL to the source in parentheses, followed by a plain text citation in-line.” For users moving work into a word processor or other app these would be easily leveraged without much fuss for the remaining steps. The result would be like:
“…lorem ipsum blah blah blah (www dot thelinktothewebhostedsource dot com)(relevant citation compliant with whichever standard User requests).”
Reference Guidelines for Formatting
• [AMA Citation Guide] amamanualofstyle dot com/
• [APSA Citation Guide] apsanet dot org /stylemanual/
• [APA Citation Guide] apastyle dot apa dot org/
• [Chicago Citation Guide] chicagomanualofstyle dot org
Notes on My Subscription & Use Case
I am a ChatGPT Pro user leveraging ChatGPT 4.5 Research for structured research, policy analysis, and strategic planning. My primary use case involves healthcare finance, public policy, and consulting, where properly formatted citations are crucial. The current citation system creates inefficiencies, and a customizable approach would greatly enhance usability for professionals working in similar domains.
Longer Term Aspirational
In the long term, one could conceive of a feature set where a user could request it provided in an endnote section at the bottom of reasons from ChatGPT.