Bibliography & References Checker
Identify citation mismatches, incomplete references, broken bibliography entries, and formatting inconsistencies in your manuscript.
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What is a bibliography checker?
A bibliography checker systematically validates the citation and reference layer of your research paper. Reference errors are extremely common, studies suggest 25–50% of published papers contain at least one reference error. Our checker cross-references your in-text citations against your bibliography to find mismatches (cited but not listed, listed but not cited), validates reference completeness (missing DOIs, page numbers, or volume info), and detects inconsistent citation formatting that could violate journal style requirements.
Reference issues we detect
Citation-reference mismatches
Find in-text citations without bibliography entries and vice versa.
Incomplete entries
Flag bibliography entries missing required fields (DOI, year, volume, pages).
Format consistency
Detect mixed citation styles (APA, Vancouver, Harvard) in the same manuscript.
Duplicate references
Identify the same source listed twice with slightly different formatting.
Self-citation patterns
Flag potential excessive self-citation that might concern reviewers.
URL and link validity
Check for broken URL-only references that should have permanent identifiers.
Checks relevant to this topic
Part of our 80+ automated checks
Uncited references
References in bibliography not cited anywhere in the text.
Missing references
In-text citations without a corresponding bibliography entry.
Incomplete entries
Bibliography entries missing year, volume, DOI, or page numbers.
Mixed citation styles
Detect inconsistent citation formatting across references.
Duplicate entries
Same source listed multiple times with different formatting.
The practical edge your peers already use
Across disciplines and career stages, researchers reduce bottlenecks and submit with confidence: clearer drafts, easier guideline compliance, and less back and forth with co‑authors and reviewers.
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
Frequently asked questions
Reference errors undermine the scholarly credibility of your work. Reviewers and editors notice them immediately, and some journals require corrections before review even begins. A clean bibliography signals careful scholarship.
Our checker validates consistency across all major styles including APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, and IEEE. It detects mixed styles and formatting inconsistencies regardless of which style you use.
Yes. We check for the presence of DOIs in eligible reference types and flag entries where a DOI should exist but is missing.
The most common errors are: references cited in the text but missing from the bibliography, and bibliography entries with incomplete information (missing year or journal volume).