LitSource Verify

What this check is for

Reference verification is most reliable when it is built into writing rather than saved for a last-minute format check. Paste the citations as they appear in the draft, keep one entry per line, and use the returned record details to identify which sources need attention. This makes it easier to catch a wrong DOI, a title that was altered during editing, or a reference copied from an unreliable draft.

Use the LitSource citation checker to compare a reference list with available DOI and scholarly metadata records. Paste one reference per line, inspect matched titles, authors and publication details, and investigate conflicting or missing records before submission. Metadata matching does not establish claim support; read the source separately to check the sentence that cites it.

A repeatable verification workflow

Use the result categories to decide what to do next. A matched result means the checked metadata agrees well enough to continue with manual source review. A mismatch or incomplete match means you should inspect the original record, correct the citation, or replace it with a source you can open. For batches, work from consequential claims outward: guidelines, clinical recommendations, efficacy statements, and safety claims deserve the earliest review.

• Paste the reference exactly as it appears in your draft.
• Compare identifiers and returned bibliographic fields.
• Open the original source for every flagged or high-impact citation.

Example input and safe interpretation

Illustrative review checklist, not a saved verification result: compare the title, authors, Lancet journal and 1983 publication year with the returned source record. If an identifier points to a different article, correct the reference before retaining it.

A strong metadata match is an authenticity signal. It does not establish claim support or replace inspection of the study.

Common citation risks to catch

Citation problems include more than nonexistent papers. A real DOI can be attached to another article, a real article can have the wrong authors or year in the bibliography, and an accurate citation can be used to support a sentence it does not justify. Those mistakes create different risks for readers and reviewers, which is why a structured verification pass is more useful than checking whether a title merely looks familiar.

What metadata matching cannot prove

Verification compares accessible bibliographic evidence. It does not establish claim support, determine study quality, confirm medical advice, or guarantee the absence of later editorial action. Source coverage differs across disciplines and publication types. A not-found result should trigger human review, not a finished verdict; similarly, a match should trigger source reading for important claims.

Before-submission reference control

Run verification before submission, resubmission, preprint release, editorial handoff, or publication of AI-assisted medical content. Keep a short correction log when you change an entry, particularly if the reference manager was shared with collaborators. The goal is not to make a bibliography look polished; it is to make every reference traceable enough that you can explain its origin, metadata, and relevance when a reviewer asks.