# Reference Audit Guide

Verify that cited references actually exist and that their metadata matches, using the...

- Repository: https://github.com/Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills (646 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-13
- Runs scripts: yes, review before use

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills --skill reference-audit-guide -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills --skill reference-audit-guide -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills --skill reference-audit-guide -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills --skill reference-audit-guide -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Verify that cited references actually exist and that their metadata matches, using the runnable scripts this skill ships for CrossRef, Semantic Scholar, arXiv, and PubMed. Use when the bibliography must be checked against live sources rather than inspected locally: detecting fabricated or hallucinated citations, confirming that DOIs resolve, and matching title, authors, venue, and year against the record. Also covers the underlying verification principles and reference-audit best practices. For an offline hygiene pass over a .bib or .tex file, run citation-verifier first; for whether a real source supports the sentence citing it, run claim-source-verification.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Citation Verification Reference Guide

Verification principles plus runnable citation checkers for academic writing.

## Position in the citation pipeline

This repository separates three citation questions that are routinely confused. Run them in order.

1. `citation-verifier`: is the bibliography a well-formed artifact? Duplicate keys, missing fields,
   DOI syntax, cited-but-undefined. Offline, immediate.
2. **This skill**: does the cited work exist, and does its metadata match what the manuscript says?
   Queries live scholarly APIs. This is the only stage that catches a fabricated citation carrying
   a well-formed DOI.
3. `claim-source-verification`: does the real, correctly-cited source actually support the sentence
   citing it?

None of the three substitutes for another. A clean local scan shows the bibliography is
well-formed, not that the papers are real. A verified DOI shows the paper is real, not that it
says what the sentence claims.

**Core Principle**: Proactively verify every citation during the writing process using trusted scholarly sources rather than memory.

## Core Problems

Citation issues in academic papers seriously impact research integrity:

1. **Fake citations** - Citing non-existent papers
2. **Incorrect information** - Mismatched authors, titles, years, etc.
3. **Inconsistent formatting** - Mixed citation formats
4. **Missing citations** - Referenced but uncited work

These issues can lead to:
- Paper rejection or retraction
- Damage to academic reputation
- Reviewers questioning research rigor

## Verification Principles

This skill provides verification principles based on trusted scholarly sources:

### 1. Proactive Verification

**Core idea**: Verify immediately when adding a citation, rather than checking after writing is complete.

- Search for the paper each time a citation is needed
- Confirm the paper exists in a trusted source
- Add to bibliography only after verification passes

### 2. Source Hierarchy

The rest: https://github.com/Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills/blob/HEAD/skills/optional/reference-audit-guide/SKILL.md