Detailed checking takes time
Reviewing references can be demanding, especially within tight assessment, publication or quality timelines.
Reference accuracy. Academic integrity. Verified at speed.
The reliable way to check citations and reference lists.
A dedicated tool for making the reference trail visible.
Ref-Check reviews citations and reference lists to provide clear, structured feedback, verify source details where possible, and highlight issues that may affect accuracy, credibility or academic integrity.
Ref-Check does not use AI models.
It uses rule-based checks with trusted bibliographic and metadata sources, while keeping human academic and professional judgement central.
New to Ref-Check? Your account will be created when you sign in. From an organisation? Get in touch about institutional access.
Why Ref-Check
A dedicated tool for reference checking.
Plagiarism checking has become a standard part of academic assessment. Reference checking has not always had the same dedicated support, despite being central to how academic work is evidenced, reviewed and trusted.
Through conversations with colleagues across multiple UK universities, four consistent themes are helping to shape Ref-Check:
Feedback needs to be clearer
Referencing is not only formatting. Students often need help understanding accuracy, source use and the evidence trail.
Consistency matters
Ref-Check offers a focused way to review citations and references without replacing academic or professional judgement.
Verification is getting harder
As references become easier to generate, users need clearer ways to identify details that may need closer attention.
Learning Hub
New to referencing? Start with the Learning Hub.
Plain-English guides, short videos and free printable referencing posters help users understand sources, citations, reference lists, DOIs, URLs, retracted sources and common referencing problems.
Learn the basics
Start with sources, citations and reference lists.
Recognise issues
Understand missing citations, DOI problems and formatting concerns.
Check with confidence
Use Ref-Check results as prompts for careful review.
Ready to make the reference trail visible?
Use Ref-Check to support faster review, clearer feedback and more confident source checking.