CitelleLook for a record using more than one clue
Start with an exact DOI if present, then compare the resolved title and authors. If the identifier is missing or mismatched, search the title and a distinctive author surname in an appropriate catalogue or scholarly index.
Change the query deliberately rather than repeatedly pasting the same long reference. Remove broken punctuation or use a short distinctive title phrase. Keep a note of which search produced a possible match.
Compare fields before accepting a close result
Check title, author order, year, publication venue, volume, pages or article number, and identifier. A near-identical title can belong to another edition, a preprint, a correction or a separate work.
Use a simple review record with three states: matched, needs review, and not located. 'Not located' describes your search outcome; it is not proof of fabrication. Local journals, older books and grey literature may not appear in the services you checked.
Read the source for the actual claim
Open the original publication and inspect the relevant passage, not only a search snippet or abstract. Record a page, section or figure and explain how it relates to your sentence. A real publication can be cited for a conclusion it never made.
Citelle checks reference lists against record services and shows differences for close matches. Use that to organise the first stages, then complete the reading yourself. This web guide does not send text to an AI service or perform live reference lookups.
- Keep the original generated reference for comparison.
- Do not silently replace it with a different paper.
- Ask a librarian or subject specialist when the record remains uncertain.