Guide
Guides · Verify a DOI
Look up a DOI and check it against the citation
doi.org answers one question: is this identifier registered, and where does it send you? It does not answer whether that landing page is the paper described in your reference. Both questions matter.
Three ways a DOI goes wrong
First, the string does not resolve. It was mistyped, or it was never registered. Second, it resolves, but to a different work than the title in your sentence. Third, it resolves to the right work, while the year, volume, or pages in the citation are wrong. Chat tools produce all three.
Open https://doi.org/ plus the identifier and compare the title, the first author, and the year on the landing page. Then check the same identifier in Crossref. Agreement between those two is the manual version of what RefCheck automates.
What RefCheck compares
Paste the whole reference, not only the DOI. RefCheck queries Crossref and OpenAlex, and it still compares the title and authors when the DOI resolves. A registered DOI paired with the wrong title is reported as real with errors, together with a corrected citation. A string that does not resolve, and that also matches no title, leans toward likely fabricated.
Some works have no Crossref DOI. arXiv preprints may have only an arXiv id. Datasets often use a DataCite DOI, which RefCheck queries. A DOI registered by CNKI, which Crossref does not have, is read from the chndoi record (title and authors) via doi.org. Books may have an ISBN instead; those go to Open Library and Google Books.
What a successful lookup is not
A matched DOI does not mean the PDF is legally free. When Unpaywall has a legal open copy, RefCheck links it. It does not host the file.
The Chinese page is DOI 真伪核验. If you do not have a DOI at all, start from how to check a citation instead of this page.
Typical cases
doi.org returns a 404
The identifier may be one character off, or it may never have been registered. RefCheck also searches by title and author so a typo is not the end of the check.
The DOI is real and the article is not the one you named
This is a common chat-tool error. The verdict is real with errors, because a work exists and it is not the work in your citation.
Preprint DOI and version-of-record DOI
They are different identifiers. Matching the preprint does not by itself prove you cited the published version. Compare the year and the venue on the corrected citation.
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-checkThe DOI is resolved and the title and authors are compared. DataCite, arXiv, and the chndoi record are used when they fit the identifier.
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
If doi.org opens, is the citation correct?
No. The identifier can be registered and still point at a different paper than the one described in your reference. Compare the title and authors.
What about a DOI that is not in Crossref?
Dataset DOIs are often in DataCite. CNKI-registered DOIs are read from the chndoi record for title and authors. If none of the queried databases have it, the verdict stays unconfirmed or likely fabricated rather than inventing a match.
Can I check a reference that has no DOI?
Yes. Matching then depends on the title and authors, and the verdict is more conservative when those are short or common.
Does a matched DOI mean I can download the PDF here?
Only when Unpaywall reports a legal open copy. RefCheck links that copy. It is not a download site.
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.