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Learn moreReferenceChecker.ai
Check citations against 12 scholarly databases, with field-level evidence
Beginner
What is ReferenceChecker.ai?
ReferenceChecker.ai is an education tool. ReferenceChecker.ai verifies bibliographies against 12 scholarly databases, comparing DOI, title, authors, year and journal field by field. It flags wrong DOIs, retractions and duplicates, and offers source-backed corrections in seven styles.
ReferenceChecker.ai is a web-based citation verification tool that tests whether the references in a bibliography correspond to real publications. It goes beyond formatting checks. Each reference is parsed into structured fields, matched against scholarly records, and compared field by field on DOI, title, authors, year, journal, volume, issue and pages. The result is a review status backed by the matched record, not a bare pass or fail. The tool is aimed at students, professors and graders, authors, and editors who need to vet a bibliography before grading, submission or peer review. Input can be pasted text, a direct arXiv import, or an uploaded file in one of 14 formats, including PDF, DOCX, BibTeX, RIS, EndNote, CSL-JSON and LaTeX. Parsing runs locally in the browser. A single run handles up to 500 references, and a mismatch is framed as a signal for human review rather than an accusation of fabrication. In practice, identifiers are resolved first, then searches are routed across Crossref, DataCite, OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, Europe PMC, OpenCitations, Unpaywall, arXiv, OpenReview, DBLP and the ACL Anthology. The homepage example shows a DOI that resolves to a different paper than the one cited, a case formatting tools miss. The checker also flags retracted publications, ambiguous matches with alternative candidates, and exact or probable duplicates. Webpages, datasets, software and technical reports are sent to manual review instead of being treated as fake. Corrections can be generated in seven styles (APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, IEEE and ABNT), applied, rechecked or undone, and results can be exported in five formats or shared as a public report link. Compared with reference managers that only format citations, or general AI chatbots that may invent sources, it focuses on evidence from published records. Daily free use is available to guests and to signed-in accounts, with no credit card required.
How do you use ReferenceChecker.ai?
1Add your references
Paste references one per line on the homepage, import a paper from arXiv, or upload a file such as PDF, DOCX, BibTeX or RIS.2Choose correction style and order
Pick a correction format such as APA 7, MLA 9 or IEEE, and set the bibliography order to automatic by style, alphabetical or input order. Leave duplicate detection on if needed.3Run the check
Submit the references for review. Guests can check 100 per day, and signed-in accounts get 500 daily credits, one per reference.4Inspect the evidence
Open each result to see the field-by-field comparison and the matched publication record. Pay attention to wrong DOIs, ambiguous matches and retraction warnings.5Apply corrections and export
Review the source-backed corrections, then apply, edit, recheck or undo them. Export the results or share a public report link.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Compares DOI, title, authors, year, journal, volume and pages field by field, so a DOI that resolves to the wrong paper is caughtAI
- Searches 12 scholarly sources including Crossref, OpenAlex, PubMed, Semantic Scholar, arXiv and DBLPAI
- Accepts 14 import formats, plus direct arXiv import, with parsing done locally in the browserAI
- Free daily use for guests (100 references) and signed-in accounts (500 credits) with no credit cardAI
- Shows retraction warnings, duplicate detection and source-backed corrections in seven citation stylesAI
Cons
- Free allowance is capped daily (100 guest checks, 500 credits for accounts) with no rollover, which limits very large batchesAI
- Webpages, datasets, software and technical reports go to manual review rather than being verified automaticallyAI
- Results are review signals only, so ambiguous or missing records still need human checking against the linked recordAI
- Coverage depends on the 12 indexed databases, so obscure or non-indexed publications may show no reliable matchAI
- Paid plans are only hinted at on the homepage (an additional sources badge), so costs beyond the free tier are unclearAI
How much does ReferenceChecker.ai cost?
Pricing
Free daily use: guests can check 100 pasted references, and free accounts get 500 total daily credits (one per reference). Credits reset at 00:00 UTC with no rollover. No purchase or subscription is required.
Learn moreIntegrations
Checks against Crossref, DataCite, OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, Europe PMC, OpenCitations, Unpaywall, arXiv, OpenReview, DBLP and ACL Anthology. Imports from arXiv and common reference file formats.
Features
Field-by-field citation comparison, 12 scholarly data sources, 14 import formats, arXiv import, duplicate and order checks, retraction warnings, seven correction styles, five export formats, public report sharing, and activity history.
Frequently asked questions about ReferenceChecker.ai
How much does ReferenceChecker.ai cost?
Free daily use: guests can check 100 pasted references, and free accounts get 500 total daily credits (one per reference). Credits reset at 00:00 UTC with no rollover. No purchase or subscription is required.Does ReferenceChecker.ai offer a free trial?
No trial is needed: guests get 100 checks daily without signing in, and free accounts get 500 daily credits, with no check-in or credit card.How do you use ReferenceChecker.ai?
The walkthrough on this page covers 5 steps: 1. Add your references 2. Choose correction style and order 3. Run the check 4. Inspect the evidence 5. Apply corrections and export.What platforms does ReferenceChecker.ai support?
ReferenceChecker.ai is available on Web App.What does ReferenceChecker.ai integrate with?
Checks against Crossref, DataCite, OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, Europe PMC, OpenCitations, Unpaywall, arXiv, OpenReview, DBLP and ACL Anthology. Imports from arXiv and common reference file formats.What are the limitations of ReferenceChecker.ai?
Free allowance is capped daily (100 guest checks, 500 credits for accounts) with no rollover, which limits very large batches. Webpages, datasets, software and technical reports go to manual review rather than being verified automatically. Results are review signals only, so ambiguous or missing records still need human checking against the linked record.
