NeatCite
Reference-list checker

Citation Checker for Pasted Reference Lists

Already have your references? Paste up to 20 at once. NeatCite checks stable identifiers, looks for strong source matches, shows the rules behind the selected style, and formats the references it can verify.

Rules and examples reviewed · Methodology and corrections

Paste a reference list

Put each reference on a new line, or separate entries with a blank line. NeatCite can verify stable identifiers and match many journal references through Crossref.

0 of 20 references detectedIdentifier-free text may be sent to Crossref for bibliographic matching. Privacy details
Rules used for AMA (11th ed.)
  • Number sources in order of first appearance; do not alphabetize the reference list.
  • Use superscript Arabic numbers for in-text references unless your instructor or journal specifies a local variation.
  • For journal articles, include authors, article title, abbreviated journal title, year, volume, issue when needed, pages or article number, and DOI when available.
  • Check imported names, dates, journal abbreviations, and locators against the source before submission.
AMA Manual of StyleBundled CSL rule file
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What this citation checker verifies

A citation is more than punctuation. A formatter needs the correct authors, title, publication, date, volume, issue, pages, and persistent identifier before it can reliably apply a style. NeatCite first tries to identify the underlying source. A DOI, PMID, ISBN, or URL gives the strongest lookup path. When a journal reference has no identifier, the checker may compare its title, first author, and year with Crossref.

A strong match is reformatted with the same bundled CSL files used by the single-source generator. The result appears beside the text you pasted, so you can confirm that the matched work is genuinely yours. If the match is uncertain, NeatCite keeps the original wording and limits its changes to safe whitespace cleanup. It does not invent a missing author, date, page range, or publisher.

Matched and formatted

The checker found an exact identifier or a strong bibliographic match. Review the source match, then copy that entry or the whole formatted list.

Needs source details

The source could not be identified safely. Add its DOI, PMID, ISBN, or URL, or use manual entry rather than treating a guess as a checked citation.

How to check a bibliography

  1. 1Choose the style required by your course, journal, or publisher. The rules panel changes with your selection.
  2. 2Paste one reference per line. Numbered references and entries separated by blank lines are also accepted.
  3. 3Select “Check & format.” Confirm every suggested source match before replacing the original text.
  4. 4Resolve entries marked “Needs details” by adding a stable identifier or entering the source fields manually.
  5. 5Copy individual entries, copy the combined list, or replace the textarea only after you have reviewed the matches.

Rules, metadata, and local requirements

The rules panel gives a concise description of the selected system and links to its primary guidance or the bundled CSL rule file. That makes the formatting basis visible instead of hiding it behind a score. The formatter can fix ordering, punctuation, name presentation, dates, numbering, and other output controlled by the style file, but it can only work with metadata available in the matched record.

Always compare the final list with the instructions for the place where you will submit it. A journal may use a house style based on AMA or NLM but change author limits, issue numbers, DOI presentation, or access dates. A department may also publish its own examples. Those local instructions take priority over a general-purpose formatter.

What happens to pasted text?

Text with a DOI, PMID, ISBN, or URL is sent only to the relevant metadata service. Identifier-free reference text may be sent to Crossref for bibliographic matching. Formatting runs with CSL rules, and the checker does not save your pasted list to an account or to the browser’s citation-list storage.

Read the privacy policySee the verification methodology