CheckIfExist: Detecting Citation Hallucinations in the Era of AI-Generated Content
The free web tool verifies references against 3 databases to combat fake citations in academic papers.
Researcher Diletta Abbonato built CheckIfExist, an open-source web tool that detects citation hallucinations—fake references generated by LLMs like GPT-4. It validates citations in real-time against CrossRef, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAlex using a cascading architecture with string similarity algorithms. Users can verify single references or batch-process BibTeX entries, receiving validated APA citations and exportable BibTeX records within seconds, addressing a critical gap in academic integrity tools.
Why It Matters
It provides a free, instant defense against AI-generated fake citations, which have infiltrated major conferences, protecting research credibility.