What it does
Paste the whole list. The tool separates it into single references, looks each one up in Crossref, OpenAlex, DataCite, Open Library, Google Books and PubMed, and compares the record it finds with what you wrote. Each reference gets a verdict, the matched record, and a corrected citation in the style you pick. Retracted papers are flagged.
What it can read
Lists come in many shapes, and a copied bibliography is rarely tidy. The checker accepts:
- numbered lists, with 1., 1) or [1];
- bulleted lists and lists with no markers at all;
- one reference per line, or references separated by blank lines;
- text pasted from a PDF, with wrapped lines, page numbers and repeated headers.
Up to 25 references are checked at a time. For a longer bibliography, paste it in batches of about 20 to 25.
Fixing what it finds
Work through the list from the top.
- Mismatch. Open the matched record. If it is the source you used, fix the detail it shows.
- Possible match. Compare the record with your source and decide.
- Couldn’t verify. Find the source another way before you change anything.
- Fix formatting. The source was found, but your entry isn’t a complete citation. Use the corrected one.
- When the list is clean, copy it or download it, then apply your style’s order and indent in your word processor.
What it does not check
It doesn’t check the order of the list, the hanging indent, the heading, or whether every in-text citation has an entry. Those are formatting and structure, and the style guide you follow sets them.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a bibliography, a reference list and Works Cited?
They are three names for the list of sources at the end of a paper. Which one you use depends on the style: APA uses “References,” MLA uses “Works Cited” and Chicago uses “Bibliography” in its notes system. The checker treats them the same way. See the glossary entry.
Does it work on an annotated bibliography?
Paste only the citations. The paragraph under each entry would be read as another reference. Remove the annotations first, check the list, then put them back.
I copied the list from a PDF and the lines are broken.
That is handled. Lines that wrap are joined, words split by a hyphen at the end of a line are rejoined, and page numbers, rules and headings such as “References” are dropped before the list is split.
Can I mix styles in the list?
Yes. Each reference is read on its own. The corrected citations all come out in the one style you choose.
Can I get the corrected list as a file?
Yes. Use Copy all, or download the corrected citations as a Word file (.docx), BibTeX or RIS. Entries that couldn't be verified are included as you wrote them.