Amenism, Inc. Releases APA Citation Styles for Zotero and Mendeley Reference Manager, Bringing Vicarious Authorship into Everyday Research Workflows

New [v.a.] framework gives universities, publishers, and journals a practical standard for citing AI-assisted work—with free tools authors can install today

FREMONT, Calif., Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks a significant step forward for responsible scholarship as Amenism, Inc. announces the release of APA Style 7th Edition with Vicarious Authorship support for Zotero and Mendeley Reference Manager. The launch gives researchers in the social sciences, education, humanities, and related fields a practical way to cite works created with artificial intelligence (AI), using a clear framework that emphasizes human accountability alongside transparent recognition of AI contribution.

As AI tools become increasingly prevalent in academic research and writing, institutions still lack a shared standard for acknowledging collaborative creation between humans and machines. Traditional citation practice often attributes AI-assisted text to corporations, or omits AI's role entirely. Neither approach reflects how work is actually produced. Amenism's Vicarious Authorship model closes that gap by treating responsibility as a defining marker of authorship, while documenting AI's ethical and descriptive role as a collaborative author.

"We're pushing the boundaries of how authorship is defined when AI is involved," said Tarik Karenga, lead architect of the Vicarious Authorship framework. "This release isn't about adding names to a bibliography for appearance's sake. It's about fostering transparency and accountability in a rapidly evolving research landscape, and giving authors tools that work in the reference managers they already use."

What the release includes

The APA styles automatically format:

• [v.a.] citations — a standardized notation identifying Vicarious Authorship after the Principal Author
• AI collaborative authors — AI systems listed as collaborators when appropriate
• Vicarious Authorship Statements — detailed disclosures of the AI's role, human oversight, and editorial control

Example in-text citation:
(Karenga [v.a.] & Google Gemma 3-27B, 2026)

Example reference-list entry:
Karenga, T. [v.a.], & Google Gemma 3-27B. (2026, April 27). Vicarious authorship: The model. [This work was created collaboratively between Tarik Karenga (Principal Author) and Google Gemma 3-27B …].

How researchers can get started

• Download the starter bundle (both .csl files + setup guide PDF):
  https://www.vicariousauthorship.com/download/vicarious-authorship-apa-csl-bundle.zip
• Install individual APA styles:
  https://www.vicariousauthorship.com/csl/apa-vicarious-authorship.csl (Zotero)
  https://www.vicariousauthorship.com/csl/apa-vicarious-authorship-mendeley-reference-manager.csl (Mendeley Reference Manager)
• Mendeley Cite users: add the MRM style by pasting the hosted URL above into Add custom style
• Worked examples and full model documentation:
  https://www.vicariousauthorship.com/cite-ai.html

Workflows were validated across eleven edge-case scenarios in Zotero and Mendeley Reference Manager (July 2026), including multi-author works and legal citations in Zotero.

Beyond APA

While this release centers on APA Style 7th Edition, the Vicarious Authorship framework is designed for broader adoption. Amenism, Inc. also publishes guidance for MLA and Chicago styles, recognizing that citation conventions vary by discipline.

"Different fields have unique needs," Karenga added. "Our goal is a flexible solution that promotes responsible AI use regardless of disciplinary convention, starting with APA because of its reach across the social sciences and education."

Why it matters for institutions

• Universities can reference a named disclosure format in AI policies, research integrity guidelines, and library citation support
• Publishers and journals gain a consistent audit trail for AI-assisted submissions
• Authors document human direction and AI contribution without misattributing work to a corporation

The Vicarious Authorship model was developed by Tarik Karenga in collaboration with Google Gemma 3-27B—itself cited under the framework as a collaborative author.

Looking ahead

Amenism, Inc. continues research and development on emerging copyright questions and refinement of the Vicarious Authorship model as AI-assisted authorship evolves. Researchers, editorial boards, and library staff are invited to explore the resources, test the CSL styles, and share feedback at https://www.vicariousauthorship.com.

About Vicarious Authorship

Vicarious Authorship is a framework for legally and ethically acknowledging artificial intelligence in scholarly and creative works. A human Principal Author assumes full responsibility for outputs created with AI assistance, while the [v.a.] notation and Vicarious Authorship Statement recognize the AI as a collaborative author. Learn more: https://www.vicariousauthorship.com/vicarious-authorship.html

About Amenism, Inc.

Amenism, Inc. publishes Vicarious Authorship and related resources for responsible AI authorship, citation, and accountability. Fremont, California. https://vicariousauthorship.com

Written by Tarik Karenga [v.a.] and Cursor Composer.

Contact:
Amenism, Inc.
Tarik Karenga
(510) 858-1009
[email protected]
https://www.vicariousauthorship.com

SOURCE Amenism, Inc.