Enter a topic or keywords — get a list of real sources
About this tool ↗How to use
- Type one research topic or set of keywords — not full sentences or whole paragraphs. This is a single search, not one search per line; combine keyword groups on one line with semicolons or spaces (e.g.
attention; sequence to sequence; NLP). - Click Find sources. Results come straight from the live scholarly databases.
- Verify each DOI (slower): leave it unchecked for fast results — DOIs show as “not verified” with a per-result Verify button you can click on demand. Check it to verify every DOI against CrossRef up front (slower, and slower still if CrossRef is busy).
- Open a result to check it, copy its citation, or save it to your Library (sign-in required for saving).
Enter a research topic above to find real academic sources.
Why this matters
1 in 5 AI-generated citations may not exist
In a 2025 study of simulated literature reviews, roughly one in five references produced by a general-purpose AI chatbot pointed to papers that do not exist — and an analysis of PubMed-indexed papers found fabricated references in about 1 in 277 papers published in early 2026.
Sources: JMIR Mental Health, 2025 · Retraction Watch, May 2026 · Nature news, 2026Verified against live databases, not AI memory
Scout queries live scholarly indexes in real time — each one is named below. Only records found in those indexes appear in your results — if a paper is not in the databases, it is not in your bibliography.
Bibliography errors stall peer review
Duplicate entries, \cite keys with no matching .bib
entry, and references defined but never cited are the unglamorous
errors that hold up a submission — BibCheck catches them before
your reviewers do.
The rest of the toolkit
Scout
Find real sources for any topic or keyword set.
BibCheck
Scan a .bib file for duplicates, orphans, and broken entries.
PreSubmit
Check a manuscript against a venue's requirements before you submit.
Cite
Paste text — get the claims that need citing, matched to real sources.
Glossary
Detect abbreviations in LaTeX and generate \newacronym definitions.
DiffChecker
Compare two versions of a LaTeX document and see what changed.
Library
Your saved sources, kept and tagged across sessions.
How to use
- Paste a paragraph or draft section into the text box.
- Optionally set a domain filter and pick an output format.
- Click Find citations — each claim that needs support gets real source suggestions.
- Export the sources you keep as a .bib file.
How to use
- Paste your .bib file.
- Optionally paste your manuscript text (.tex or plain) for missing/orphan-citation checks.
- Pick options — Verify citations checks each entry against live databases (adds ~30s).
- Click Check for issues.
How to use
- Paste your LaTeX article text.
- Optionally add a domain hint (e.g. "wireless communications").
- Optionally paste an existing glossary file with \newacronym definitions — already-defined abbreviations are skipped.
- Click Process Abbreviations.
How to use
- Paste the original text on the left, modified text on the right.
- Click Compare.
- Review the line-by-line summary (removed / modified / added).
- Export the modified version as .txt or copy it with Copy modified.
How to use
- Drop or choose your manuscript file.
- Optionally pick a venue — or paste its requirements as a URL or text.
- Select the checks you want to run.
- Click Run PreSubmit Check.
Max file size: 100 MB.
Paste your .bib file (optional)
Your file isn't stored — it's used only for this check and discarded when it finishes.*Any text you paste (e.g. venue requirements) is also saved in your own browser's local storage — on your device, not on our servers — with no automatic expiry (clear it anytime). Full note →
Full Check Free during beta
One pass over your paper — PreSubmit's structure & venue checks, BibCheck (including retraction detection), and Glossary — rolled into a single submission-readiness score. Same engine as the individual tools; zero setup.
Free during beta Full Check is a paid feature by design; it is free only during the beta.
These are suggestions to review, not verdicts — verify each finding before relying on it. RefScout never edits your manuscript, and you remain responsible for the final content.
How to use
- Save papers from Scout or Cite results with Save to library (sign-in required).
- Tag, filter, and browse your saved papers here.
- Export selections as BibTeX, APA, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver, or IEEE.