How to check that a citation is real
Updated 19 October 2026
AI tools and chatbots can write a reference that looks perfect and leads nowhere: real-sounding authors, a plausible journal and a title that fits, but no such paper. Reviewers and examiners check, so you should too. This takes a few minutes per reference.
At a glance
- Fastest check
- Open https://doi.org/ followed by the DOI
- No DOI?
- Search the exact title on Crossref, PubMed or Google Scholar
- What to compare
- Authors, title, journal, year, volume and pages
- Also check
- That the paper really says what your sentence claims
Step 1: look up the DOI
A DOI is a permanent identifier such as 10.xxxx/xxxxx. Put it after https://doi.org/ in your browser. A real DOI opens the publisher's page for that paper. If it shows "DOI not found", the reference is probably wrong or invented.
Step 2: no DOI? search the title
Search the exact title in quotation marks on Crossref, OpenAlex, PubMed (for medicine) or Google Scholar. Older papers, books and some conference papers have no DOI, but they should still appear in a library catalogue or a scholar search.
Step 3: compare the details
A real DOI can still be attached to the wrong paper. Check that the authors, the title, the journal, the year, the volume and the pages on the publisher's page match your reference. One wrong detail is a sign of a mistake worth fixing.
Step 4: check that the paper says what you claim
Open the paper and read the abstract, and the relevant section if you can. A reference can exist and still not support your sentence. This is the check that no tool can do for you, and it is the one examiners care about most.
Step 5: keep a clean list
Cite only sources you have checked, in one consistent style (IEEE, APA, MLA, Harvard or Vancouver), and make sure every citation in the text has an entry in the list and every entry is cited.
How ResearchBerry handles references
ResearchBerry does not let the AI invent references. It searches Crossref, OpenAlex and Europe PMC, shows you the matching papers with their abstracts, lets you choose which ones to use, and builds the reference list from those records, with a DOI link on each. You are still the author: open the links and check the sources before you submit.
Common questions
Can an AI tool invent references?
Yes. Language models can produce references that look real but do not exist. Always verify each reference through its DOI, a library catalogue or a scholarly search.
What if a real paper has no DOI?
Many books, older papers and some conference papers have none. Look for them in your library catalogue, Google Scholar or the publisher website.
Is a working DOI enough?
No. Also compare the authors, title, journal and year, and check that the paper supports the sentence where you cite it.
See your own idea in this style
Write your research idea and choose the format. You get a free preview with your title, a real opening paragraph and a real page of the layout before you pay for anything.
ResearchBerry is a drafting aid. You are the author: check every source and follow your institution's rules on AI tools.