Citation checker — catch fake DOIs before your professor does.
Paste your references list and AI verifies every citation. Flags fabricated journals (the kind ChatGPT invents), malformed DOIs, missing fields, and AI-hallucinated authors. Critical safety net for any paper using AI assistance.
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How it works
Three steps. Done in 60 seconds.
Paste your citations
Drop your references list — APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, whatever your prof requires. One per line.
AI verifies each one
Cross-references against real databases. Flags fabricated journals, malformed DOIs, missing fields, and suspicious patterns.
Fix or remove flagged sources
Per-citation status (verified ✓, needs review ⚠, fabricated ✗) with explanation. One-click Google Scholar / DOI lookup to find real replacements.
Why it works
Built for actual studying, not just demos.
Catches AI-hallucinated sources
ChatGPT and other LLMs frequently invent realistic-sounding citations that don't exist. We catch them.
Validates DOIs
Checks DOI format and pings doi.org to confirm the source exists. Catches malformed or fake DOIs.
Confidence-scored results
Each citation gets a confidence score (90+ = verified, 50-70 = needs review, <30 = likely fabricated) with reasoning.
Multiple formats supported
APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, Vancouver, plain bibtex, numbered lists, bullet lists — all parsed correctly.
Essay + sources mode
Paste an entire essay with inline citations and we verify every one. Useful for full paper review before submission.
Quick-action helpers
Per-citation "Search Google Scholar" and "Open DOI" buttons so you can find a real replacement in seconds.
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Why students switch to StudentHubAI
FAQ
Common questions
How accurate is the fake-citation detection?+
Very. We use multi-step verification: DOI format check, real database lookup, cross-referencing journal names against the canonical Crossref + PubMed registries. Confidence-scored so you can prioritize the most suspicious ones.
Why are AI-hallucinated citations a big problem?+
ChatGPT and other LLMs frequently invent realistic-looking citations — real-sounding authors, plausible journal names, fake DOIs. Professors and grading software increasingly flag these as fraud. It's a major risk for students using AI assistance.
Does it work with all citation formats?+
Yes — APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, Vancouver, numbered, bullet lists, plain text. Our parser handles the messy variants too.
Can I check a full essay with inline citations?+
Yes. "Essay + sources" mode reads the whole essay, identifies inline citations, matches them to your references list, and verifies each one.
Does it work with non-academic sources (websites, books)?+
Best with peer-reviewed academic sources. Websites and books are partially verified but with lower confidence (we can't always confirm a specific book edition or webpage state).
What if a citation is marked "fake" but I'm sure it's real?+
Click "Recheck" — sometimes a temporary DOI server issue causes a false flag. If it persists, the citation may have an error (wrong year, wrong journal name, wrong DOI digits).
How is this different from Turnitin?+
Turnitin checks for copied text. We check whether citations are real. Different problems — increasingly both matter in 2026.
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