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Citation Verification

Verify references before you trust them. Citation Verification is a citation checker that resolves scholarly identifiers (DOI, PMID, PMCID, arXiv, ISBN) and many publisher URLs against public metadata sources, then labels each item conservatively (VERIFIED, RETRACTED, HALLUCINATED, or NEEDS REVIEW). It also supports film/movie references via IMDb IDs and movie-style citation lines (best-effort). Use it to spot broken links, mismatched records, duplicate/incorrect references, and retraction signals before you submit a paper, publish a blog post, or share a bibliography. For best accuracy, paste one identifier or URL per line. If a source can’t be resolved reliably, the tool won’t guess—it marks it for review so you can verify the reference manually.

Works with DOI/PMID/PMCID/ISBN/arXiv/NCT/IMDb/URL and common citation markers like “(Author, 2024)”. For batch mode, paste one identifier per line. Note: streaming/watch URLs (e.g., Netflix) often can’t be verified and may be marked AMBIGUOUS (Needs review).
Citation Verification Report
Generated: 2/28/2026, 2:30:41 PM
No completed result available to print.

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About

Citation Verification is a due-diligence tool for verifying references. It resolves identifiers (DOI, PMID, PMCID, arXiv, NCT, ISBN) and many URLs to public records, then summarizes what was found.

How it works

Provide identifiers (DOI/PMID/PMCID/arXiv/NCT/ISBN/IMDb) or URLs. The tool attempts to resolve each item and returns a status with supporting details when available.

For enterprise-style workflows, the tool is intentionally conservative and audit-friendly: if evidence is incomplete it will mark an item for review rather than guessing, and it surfaces notes/warnings to explain what it used and what was missing.

  • Resolves identifiers using public metadata sources
  • Flags retraction signals when detected
  • Supports preprints (arXiv) and open-access links when available
  • Supports ClinicalTrials.gov registrations via NCT IDs
  • Supports movies/films via IMDb (best-effort)
  • Marks uncertain matches for manual review (no guessing)
Result interpretation

VERIFIED means the identifier resolved to a matching record. RETRACTED indicates a retraction signal for the resolved record. HALLUCINATED indicates the identifier did not resolve to a credible record. NEEDS REVIEW is used when the tool cannot be confident enough to label the item.

An “ambiguous” outcome is a form of NEEDS REVIEW: evidence is incomplete or non-unique (multiple plausible matches, vague citation strings, or conflicting metadata). It means “needs human judgment,” not “false.”

Use cases

Use it when you inherit a bibliography, review a manuscript, or want an automated first pass before manual verification.

  • Manuscript submission checks
  • Reference list clean-up
  • Editorial/peer-review workflows
Limitations

Best results come from stable identifiers (DOI/PMID/PMCID/arXiv/ISBN). Some URLs won’t expose stable metadata, and some sources are not indexed. Film/movie resolution is best-effort and may require manual confirmation. Always confirm the citation supports the specific claim and context.

Best practices

Treat statuses as triage. For important items, open the resolved record and compare authors/title/year with your citation and the claim you are making.

Related reading

How to verify a citation fast (DOI/PMID/ISBN)
Insights
A repeatable workflow to confirm existence + match metadata conservatively.
How to check if a paper was retracted or corrected
Insights
A practical quick pass for retractions/corrections and how to update your work responsibly.
How to verify citations (fast, conservative checklist)
Learn
Identifier-first checklist: matching title/authors/year/venue, and retraction checks.
DOI vs PMID vs ISBN: when to use which
Learn
Choose stable identifiers to reduce ambiguity and speed up verification.
How to cite a film or movie (APA/MLA/Chicago)
Learn
What metadata you need, how to handle versions, and why IMDb IDs help.

FAQ

What does VERIFIED mean?
The identifier resolved to a matching record in a public source. Always confirm the citation matches your claim and context.
How do I verify academic references quickly?
Paste DOI/PMID/ISBN/URL values (one per line). Verified items should match author/title/year. Anything uncertain is marked for review so you can check the publisher or library record.
What does RETRACTED mean?
A retraction signal was detected for the resolved record. You should avoid citing it as supporting evidence without careful review.
Can it check if a paper is retracted?
It can surface retraction signals for resolvable scholarly records. Always open the source record and confirm the retraction notice yourself before making decisions.
Can it verify PMCID (PMC...) citations?
Yes—paste a PMCID like “PMC1234567” (or “PMCID: PMC1234567”). When a DOI is available for that record, the tool can verify it via DOI as well.
Can it verify arXiv citations?
Yes—paste an arXiv ID (like “1706.03762”) or an arXiv URL. If the record has a DOI, the tool can verify it via DOI; otherwise it will verify the arXiv metadata (best-effort).
Can it verify ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT...) citations?
Yes—paste an NCT ID like “NCT04368728” or a ClinicalTrials.gov URL. The tool resolves basic trial metadata (best-effort).
Can it verify movie/film citations?
Yes—paste an IMDb ID (like “tt0111161”) or an IMDb URL. The tool resolves basic metadata for films (best-effort). Always confirm details against your required style guide.
How do I cite a film or movie in APA/MLA/Chicago?
Start by collecting title, release year, and director, and add version details for director's cuts or remasters. If possible, include a stable identifier like an IMDb ID to avoid title collisions.
Learn: how to cite a film or movie (checklist)
What if I do not have a DOI?
You can use PMID, PMCID, arXiv, ISBN, IMDb, or a publisher URL. If nothing resolvable is found, the tool will mark the item for review rather than guessing.
Can it verify books (ISBN citations)?
Yes—paste an ISBN (one per line). Book records and editions can vary, so verify the edition, publisher, and year against a library/publisher page before submission.

Integrity and privacy

Integrity
  • Resolves citations when possible and prefers “needs review” over confident-sounding guesses.
  • Retraction signals are surfaced as warnings, not as a substitute for reading the source.
Privacy
  • Inputs are sent to the API to compute results. Avoid pasting sensitive personal data.
  • For internal or confidential work, use minimal excerpts and verify using original sources.
Last updated: Jan 16, 2026
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