Check the text
Have you cited every source you used? Do author names and years look consistent throughout the writing?
Watch: in-text citations →Student guidance
Check your referencing calmly before submission.
Use Ref-Check as a learning prompt, not a panic button.
This page helps students review citations, reference-list entries, DOI and URL details, and possible source issues in a structured way before submitting work.
Check calmly
Fix what you can
Ask when unsure
Before you submit
A calm final check
Start with the checks that help a reader find and understand the sources you used.
Check the evidence trail first
Make sure citations in the text connect to full reference-list entries, then review names, years, DOI details, URLs and formatting.
Checklist
Before submitting your work
A short final check can help you spot avoidable referencing issues in essays, reports, dissertations, articles or other written work.
Check the list
Does every citation appear in the reference list, and is every reference in the list used in the text?
Watch: reference lists →Check access
Do DOI and URL links work where included, and do they lead to the source you intended?
Watch: DOIs →Using Ref-Check
Use the report as a guide
Ref-Check can make common issues easier to see, especially in longer pieces of work. You still make the final academic decisions.
📄
Upload
Check your draft or written work before submission.
🔗
Compare
Review citation and reference-list matching.
🔎
Investigate
Look closely at unclear source details, DOI or URL issues.
✅
Decide
Use guidance, style rules and academic judgement.
Useful support
What Ref-Check can help with
Matching checks
It can help identify citations that may be missing from the list, and references that may not be cited in the text.
Source details
It can highlight possible DOI, URL, formatting and verification issues that may need closer review.
Keep in mind
What it does not replace
Ref-Check does not mark your work, rewrite your references, decide whether a source is suitable, or replace feedback from your tutor, supervisor, librarian or academic skills team.
You remain in control
Use results as prompts for learning and review, not as a substitute for understanding the required referencing style.
What to do next
Responding to common results
Different results need different actions. These prompts help you choose where to start.
Citation found, no reference found
Add the full reference if you used the source, or correct the citation if the name or year is different.
Read more →Reference listed, no citation found
Add a citation if the source was used, or remove the reference if it supported reading but was not used in the final work.
Read more →Reference needs checking
This does not automatically mean the source is wrong. Check the title, authors, year and publication details manually.
Read more →