Citation verification guides
Short, practical guides on checking whether a reference is real — how AI tools fabricate citations, what the identifiers mean, and how to verify a bibliography before it reaches a reviewer.
In short
To check whether a citation is real, resolve any identifier it carries (DOI, PMID, arXiv ID, ISBN) and search the title and authors against authoritative databases — Crossref, OpenAlex, PubMed and CourtListener. A reference that no database can locate, or whose details disagree with the record found, should be flagged. The guides below walk through each part of that process.
ChatGPT fake citations: how to detect them
A repeatable checklist for spotting AI-fabricated references.
Why AI invents references (how citation hallucination works)
The mechanism behind citation hallucination, explained.
How professors verify citations
What instructors and reviewers actually check — and how to pre-empt it.
DOI vs PMID vs ISBN: what each identifier means
Three identifiers, three jobs — when you'll meet each one.
How to verify references in APA format
Check each APA field against the real record, step by step.
Common citation mistakes (and how to avoid them)
The errors reviewers see most, and how to catch each one.
What is a fabricated citation?
A clear definition, with examples and how to spot one.
Can Google Scholar verify citations?
What Scholar can and can't do for checking references.