APA · MLA · Vancouver · ABNT · Chicago + more
Submit a clean bibliography, every time
At least 1 in 2 bibliographies we check carries a citation that fails verification. CiteMe checks every reference against real academic databases in seconds — before your professor or reviewer catches a hallucinated DOI or fabricated source.
How the reference checker works
Step 1
Paste your bibliography
Copy your reference list from your paper — any style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
Step 2
Run the check
CiteMe parses each reference and searches CrossRef, OpenAlex, Google Books, and Semantic Scholar
Step 3
Review the report
See a scored integrity report with issues flagged for each reference
What to do next
What we check
Each reference is verified against multiple academic databases for accuracy and existence.
- AI Hallucination Detection
- Catches fabricated references generated by ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI tools by verifying every citation against real academic databases.
- DOI Verification
- Resolves every DOI against CrossRef and OpenAlex to confirm it exists and matches the cited metadata.
- Title & Author Matching
- Fuzzy-matches titles and author names against OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, and Google Books records.
- Year Cross-Check
- Detects mismatched publication years — a common hallmark of fabricated references.
- Integrity Score
- Each reference gets a verification status. The overall report score tells you if your bibliography is submission-ready.
Understanding your report
- PASSED
- Most references are confirmed against academic records. Your bibliography is submission-ready.
- NEEDS REVIEW
- Some references could not be fully verified. Review flagged items before submitting.
- INCONCLUSIVE
- Many references could not be verified. Check for typos, fabricated entries, or non-indexed sources.
What to do after verification
Once you have checked the bibliography, the next step is usually fixing the style, rerunning a tighter single-citation check, or regenerating missing references from a trusted source lookup.
More verification workflows
Need it in a specific citation style?
Format the result in the style your paper requires — APA, MLA, Harvard, Vancouver, Chicago, or IEEE.
APA Citation Generator
Author-date format for psychology, social sciences, and education.
MLA Citation Generator
Works Cited format for humanities and literature.
Harvard Referencing Generator
Author-date common in UK and Australian universities.
Vancouver Citation Generator
Numbered references for medicine and biomedical research.
Chicago Citation Generator
Notes-bibliography or author-date for history and the arts.
IEEE Citation Generator
Bracketed numbers for engineering and computer science.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the reference checker work?
CiteMe parses your bibliography into individual references, then verifies each one against academic databases including CrossRef, OpenAlex, Google Books, and Semantic Scholar. It checks DOIs, titles, authors, and years for accuracy.
Can it detect AI-generated fake references?
Yes. AI tools like ChatGPT often hallucinate citations — generating plausible-looking references that don't actually exist. CiteMe checks each reference through a multi-step pipeline against CrossRef, OpenAlex, Google Books, and Semantic Scholar, so fabricated or hallucinated citations are flagged immediately.
Is it free?
Yes — 5 checks per month, no account needed. Each check shows the integrity score and status of every reference. Copy your corrected bibliography text for free. Export as BibTeX, RIS, or PDF requires a Pro plan. Pro users also see full details for all references plus sharing.
What citation styles are supported?
All major styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, IEEE, ABNT, and more. The parser handles any common bibliography format.
What does the score mean?
The integrity score (0-100) reflects the percentage of verifiable references. PASSED (≥80) means most references are confirmed. NEEDS REVIEW (≥50) means some need attention. INCONCLUSIVE (<50) means many could not be verified.
How is this different from plagiarism checkers?
Plagiarism checkers scan your text for copied content. CiteMe's reference checker verifies that the sources you cited actually exist and that the metadata (authors, year, title, DOI) is correct. They solve different problems — use both for a thorough submission check.
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Verify your bibliography now
Paste your references and get a scored integrity report in seconds. Free, no signup required.