Guide
Guides · IEEE citation checker
Check IEEE references, not just the brackets
IEEE reference lists are numbered, dense, and easy for a drafting tool to imitate. A line that looks like an IEEE entry can still name a conference paper that was never accepted. This check is about the work, not the brackets.
Paste the numbered entries
Keep the [1], [2] numbers if you have them. RefCheck accepts a numbered list and reads authors, title, year, and a DOI or arXiv id. Computer-science items are also sent to DBLP. Preprints, including ones that only have an arXiv id, are sent to arXiv. Crossref and OpenAlex still run first, and Semantic Scholar is part of the cross-check.
Conference papers are where invented references cluster: a real venue name, a plausible city, and a page range that belongs to a different year. If the databases agree on a different paper than the one in the entry, you get “real with errors” and a corrected citation. If they agree on nothing, you get “likely fabricated.”
arXiv and the published version
An arXiv id proves a preprint, not a camera-ready paper. The published version, when it exists, often has a different year and a DOI. RefCheck will surface the record it actually found. Cite the version you read, and do not let a checker silently upgrade a preprint into a proceedings paper.
This page does not check IEEE body-text rules: where the bracket sits relative to punctuation, whether every number is cited in order, or the abbreviation of “vol.” and “no.” Those are style rules. See the arXiv citation checker if the list is mostly preprints, and the APA citation checker if you are switching styles for a journal.
Retractions still apply
A conference paper that exists can be retracted. After a match, RefCheck reads retraction signals from Retraction Watch data in Crossref, and from PubMed and Europe PMC when those databases were queried. Engineering papers are less often in PubMed, so the Crossref signal is the one you will usually see.
Before you submit, the pre-submission checklist is the broader pass. This page stays on the IEEE-shaped entry.
Typical cases
A proceedings title that sounds familiar
Venue names are easy to imitate. If DBLP, Crossref, and OpenAlex have no paper with that title and those authors, do not keep the line because the conference is real.
arXiv id in an IEEE-style entry
The preprint can be real while the “Proc. IEEE …” half of the line is not. Read which record was matched before you leave the proceedings wording in place.
Numbers restart at [1] in each chapter
Paste one chapter’s list at a time, or one flat list. The checker does not rebuild a thesis-wide numbering scheme.
How it works
Three steps for this kind of reference
01PasteOne reference per line, or a numbered list. Keep the authors, title, year, and the DOI or arXiv id if you have them.
02Cross-checkNumbered IEEE entries are parsed, then checked in Crossref, OpenAlex, DBLP, and arXiv when the line is a preprint or a computer-science paper.
03Read the verdictReal, real with errors, likely fabricated, or unconfirmed. A corrected citation is shown when the record disagrees, and a retraction is flagged when one is on record.
Frequently asked questions
Does this grade IEEE formatting?
No. It checks whether each numbered reference matches a real work. Bracket placement, citation order, and abbreviation style are not graded.
Why is DBLP involved?
DBLP is added for computer-science references. It is not queried for every line in every field. Crossref and OpenAlex still run first.
Can I paste only the arXiv id?
Yes. An arXiv id is enough to look up that preprint. Add the authors and title if you also want a mismatch flagged.
Does a match mean the conference accepted the paper?
A match means a bibliographic record was found. It does not certify acceptance, peer review, or that you cited the version you think you did.
What does a check cost?
3 free reference checks without an account, plus 5 more free after you sign in. Then each reference costs 1 AILatest credit. Failed lookups are refunded. Credits last 1 year and the expiry extends on every top-up. Packs are $1.99 for 200, $4.99 for 600, and $9.99 for 1,500. There is no subscription.
Cite only what's real.
3 free reference checks without an account, plus 5 more free after you sign in. Then 1 credit each.