Citation and reference list checker
Paste the text with its in-text citations and the reference list. Every citation is matched to an entry by first author and year, and every entry is checked for being cited — the cross-check reviewers and editors do by hand.
How it works
The most common reference errors are not formatting: a source cited as (Lee & Park, 2020) that the list has as 2021, a paper added late and never put in the list, three references that were cut from the text but left in the list, the same article listed twice, and [7] cited when the list stops at 6. Reviewers notice these first.
How to use it: paste the text with citations on the left and the reference list on the right — or paste the whole paper on the left with a “References” or “Bibliography” heading above the list. Put each reference on its own line, or separate them with a blank line. Author–year styles (APA, Harvard, Chicago author-date, MLA with years) and numbered styles ([1], Vancouver, IEEE) both work. Press Check citations.
Problems are clear mismatches: a citation with no matching reference, a year that differs from the list, a numbered citation beyond the list, a duplicated reference, a reference with no year, and leftover [citation needed] or (Author, Year) placeholders. Check rows need a person: references never cited, 2019 cited when the list has 2019a and 2019b, two works by the same author and year without a/b, DOIs written in different styles, an alphabetical order break and numbered references out of citation order.
FAQ
Is my paper uploaded?
No. It is read inside your browser and never sent anywhere.
Does it check that the references really exist?
No. It matches citations to your own list by surname and year. Checking each entry against Crossref, OpenAlex and PubMed for invented or wrong details is the paid service below.
Which styles work?
Author–year (APA, Harvard, Chicago author-date, many journals’ house styles) and numbered ([1], [2–4], Vancouver, IEEE). Korean author names such as 홍길동(2019) are matched too.
What is the free limit?
400 references per check.