Check a Bibliography Before Treating It as Research

A formatted reference is not evidence that a publication exists. Treat an AI-generated bibliography as a list of leads. Verify each source through an appropriate primary publisher, repository or catalogue before using it in an article.

Work through an example

Start with one claim you need to support. Ask for search terms and likely source types rather than a long list of impressive citations. A narrower research question is easier to verify than a bibliography assembled around a broad topic.

For every candidate, confirm title, authors, publication venue and date from the actual record. Open the source when available and inspect the relevant passage. A real paper with a similar title may still address a different population or method.

Check the result

Record whether you read the full text, an abstract or only a catalogue entry. Do not quote wording you have not checked in the source. If the full text is unavailable, narrow your statement to what the accessible evidence establishes or find another appropriate source.

Remove references that cannot be verified. Ask the assistant to format the checked records only after the research step. Finish by checking that each citation supports its nearby claim. A polished bibliography improves presentation; existence, relevance and faithful interpretation remain separate checks.