Is this a replacement for reading the original source?

No. It is a faster screening workflow that helps you decide which sources need closer inspection before final use.

Can this help with AI-assisted writing?

Yes. It is designed for drafts where references may have been generated, rewritten, copied, or attached without enough source review.

What should I do with a risky citation?

Correct the metadata, find a better supporting source, narrow the sentence, or remove the citation from the draft.

For researchers

LitSource for Researchers

A researcher workflow for claim-first literature search, DOI and PMID checks, and reviewing whether each source supports the sentence it is cited for.

Search the Literature Review the checklist

Designed for real drafts

The page focuses on decisions writers actually need to make before submission.

Built for external links

The resource is stable enough for guides, directories, and academic writing pages.

Connected to the product

Each section points toward the LitSource workflow that performs the check.

Resource preview

A compact view of what this page helps you check before citing.

LitSource

Claim-to-evidence review

A compact view of what this page helps you check before citing.

Claim captured

Review this signal before accepting the citation.

Sources retrieved

Review this signal before accepting the citation.

Support reviewed

Review this signal before accepting the citation.

Checklist

Researcher source checklist

A practical sequence for checking the citation or source before it becomes part of a finished draft.

Start from the exact sentence that needs evidence

Start with the most concrete field so the rest of the review has a reliable anchor.

Check stable identifiers

Use DOI, PMID, title, authors, venue, and year to trace the same source record.

Compare the cited claim

Decide whether the source supports the exact sentence, not only the surrounding topic.

Fix or remove weak citations

Do not leave mismatched or unsupported references in a draft because they look formatted.

Examples

Where literature search goes wrong

These patterns are common in AI-assisted drafts, copied bibliographies, and rushed literature searches.

Mismatched record

A keyword search returns papers on the same topic that do not support the specific claim.

Looks credible but cannot be traced

The reference follows academic formatting but no reliable source record can be found.

Real source, wrong sentence

The source is authentic, but the study does not support the claim beside it.

Workflow

How researchers use LitSource

Use LitSource to move from a raw reference or claim into a structured source review.

Search the Literature

Start from the draft

Paste a claim or a draft paragraph into Search to find supporting sources.

Inspect the candidate source

Use the returned source details and snippets to compare the evidence against the draft.

Decide the citation action

Keep, revise, replace, or remove the citation before the manuscript moves forward.

FAQ

LitSource for Researchers FAQ

Short answers for researchers, students, and writers using this resource as a verification workflow.

Related LitSource workflows

Move between source discovery and citation verification without returning to the homepage.

LitSource for studentsOpen workflow Literature searchOpen workflow Verify referencesOpen workflow DOI finderOpen workflow Citation checkerOpen workflow

Ready to continue

Turn this resource into a live check

Open LitSource and inspect the source record, metadata, and evidence context while the risk is still easy to fix.

Search the Literature