With the rise of paper mills and citations to retracted sources, more and more editorial boards are looking for a citation checking tool. However, not all tools offer the same level of verification. Many focus on secondary functions without actually checking whether references are accurate and reliable. Here’s what an editor should look for in reference-checking tools
What a citation checking tool should not be
There is often confusion between three very different categories of tools.
1. Plagiarism detection software
Tools such as iThenticate compare manuscript text against databases of existing content. However, they do not verify whether the cited references actually exist.
2. Reference managers
Zotero and EndNote help users organize references. However, they do not systematically verify the accuracy of every reference or assess the scientific validity of the cited source.
3. Reference formatting tools
These tools reformat bibliographies according to a required citation style. However, they do not examine whether the cited sources actually support the information attributed to them.
None of these three categories fully answers the essential question: does this reference exist, and has it been retracted?
What to look for in a genuine citation checking tool
A citation checking tool should first confirm that the cited source exists, for example by verifying its DOI. It should then systematically cross-check references against databases such as Retraction Watch.
In addition, it should detect citation inconsistencies, such as reference numbers that do not match any citation in the text.
It should also remain compatible with the citation styles used in your discipline, including the Vancouver style referenced in the ICMJE recommendations.
Finally, a good tool should integrate smoothly into the existing editorial workflow, whether teams work with Word, LaTeX, or a manuscript submission platform.
Automation does not mean losing control
One point is important to clarify. A citation checking tool does not replace the scientific judgment of an editor-in-chief.
Its role is more focused, but still essential.
It can process in seconds what a human reviewer might spend hours checking manually. As a result, reviewers can spend more time on tasks that genuinely require human expertise instead of carrying out repetitive bibliographic checks.
A significant productivity gap
This difference in efficiency is becoming increasingly important for editorial boards. Some journals can now apply citation checks systematically across every manuscript. Others still rely mainly on individual reviewer vigilance. Choosing the right citation checking tool is therefore not only a technical decision. It is also a strategic choice for editorial quality, consistency, and efficiency.
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LibScience develops an automated bibliographic reference verification solution for scientific journals and publishers, including the detection of retracted articles, automatic DOI enrichment and contextual citation relevance checking. Discover LibScience