Cite Check

Before you submit a thesis, article or client manuscript, Cite Check matches every in-text citation to the reference list, and every reference back to the text.

It flags:

• citations with no matching reference, and references never cited
• a year that differs from the reference (Haddad, 2019 vs 2018)
• a misspelled author or co-author (Lindqvist vs Lindquist; Moreau vs Moreno)
• the wrong number of authors, or "et al." used for a one- or two-author work
• ambiguous citations: 2022 when the list has 2022a and 2022b, or two different first authors called Wang
• entries that would collide as the same "et al." citation

It handles: narrative and parenthetical citations, grouped citations, page numbers, "see also" and "e.g.", 2011a,b, n.d., "as cited in", group authors with abbreviations (WHO), and APA initials for authors who share a surname. It reads reference lists in APA, Harvard, journal style without commas, NLM/Vancouver and basic Chicago author-date.

Private by design: one HTML file that runs in your browser. No upload, account, subscription or word limit.

Tested on real papers: we ran it on 23 published open-access articles. It flagged citation mismatches that had made it through peer review, such as a misspelled co-author and a wrong first author.

Includes: the tool, its JavaScript source and 33 automated tests, a fictional sample chapter with eight planted errors, and a single-user licence valid on unlimited documents, including paid editing work. You also get seven days of defect support (support@meltemilabs.com).

Limits: numbered (Vancouver/IEEE) and footnote styles aren't checked. It matches by surname and year, and doesn't check reference formatting or whether a source supports the claim. Review every finding against your style guide.

AI disclosure: the code and documentation were developed with AI assistance (Claude) and checked with automated tests and published papers. The tool makes no AI calls.

30-day money-back guarantee: if Cite Check isn't right for you, email support@meltemilabs.com within 30 days for a refund.