Citely
AI-powered citation checker and source finder for credible research
What is Citely? Complete Overview
Citely is an advanced AI-powered tool designed to help researchers, academics, and students maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. It solves critical pain points in academic research by verifying citation authenticity, detecting fake references, and finding original sources. The tool integrates with major academic databases like CrossRef, PubMed, arXiv, and Google Scholar to provide comprehensive source validation. Citely is particularly valuable for students writing papers, researchers preparing publications, professors reviewing student work, and journal editors maintaining publication standards. With features like real-time citation verification, automated source discovery, and multi-format citation management, Citely streamlines the research workflow while ensuring every reference meets academic credibility standards.
Citely Interface & Screenshots

Citely Official screenshot of the tool interface
What Can Citely Do? Key Features
AI Citation Checker
Citely's advanced AI algorithms analyze your text to automatically identify and verify citations. The system cross-references against authoritative academic databases with over 95% accuracy in detecting fabricated references, saving researchers hours of manual verification work.
Reference Validation
Get instant feedback on citation authenticity as you write. The AI-powered verification prevents fake references from entering your work, maintaining academic integrity throughout your writing process.
Source Finder
Direct integration with major academic databases allows instant location of original sources. The tool searches CrossRef, PubMed, arXiv, and Google Scholar simultaneously for comprehensive source validation.
Citation Management
Automatically format and organize citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE and other academic styles. Keep all verified sources organized and easily accessible for future research projects.
Collaborative Research Tools
Share verification reports and citation libraries with research teams. Export verified citations for group projects while maintaining consistent citation standards across all collaborators.
Best Citely Use Cases & Applications
Student Research Papers
Undergraduate students use Citely to verify all references before submitting assignments, ensuring they don't accidentally cite fabricated sources found online. The real-time verification helps maintain academic honesty throughout the writing process.
Peer Review Process
Journal editors and reviewers utilize Citely to quickly identify submissions with questionable citations. The tool helps maintain publication integrity by flagging potentially fabricated references before they appear in print.
Dissertation Writing
PhD candidates rely on Citely to verify hundreds of citations in their dissertations. The comprehensive verification reports provide documentation of source authenticity for committee review.
Research Team Collaboration
Large research teams use Citely's shared libraries to maintain consistent citation standards across multiple papers and collaborators. The system prevents citation errors from propagating through successive publications.
How to Use Citely: Step-by-Step Guide
Upload your research document or paste text containing citations directly into Citely's interface. The system accepts various file formats including Word documents and plain text.
Citely automatically scans your text and identifies all citations and references. The AI highlights potential issues and begins cross-referencing against academic databases.
Review the verification results showing which citations are confirmed authentic and which require attention. The system provides direct links to source materials when available.
Use the source finder feature to locate missing or questionable references. Citely suggests credible alternatives when original sources cannot be verified.
Export your verified citations in your preferred academic style format, or generate a verification report to share with collaborators or supervisors.
Citely Pros and Cons: Honest Review
Pros
Considerations
Is Citely Worth It? FAQ & Reviews
Citely achieves over 95% accuracy in detecting authentic vs. fabricated citations by cross-referencing against multiple authoritative academic databases using advanced AI algorithms.
Citely supports all major academic styles including APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE, and many others, with automatic formatting and style conversion capabilities.
Yes, Citely integrates with popular reference management tools like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote, allowing you to import and verify your existing citation libraries.
Absolutely. Your research data is encrypted and stored securely. Citely never shares your work with third parties, and you maintain full ownership of your content.
You'll receive a notification before reaching your limit and can either upgrade your plan or purchase additional credits to continue your research uninterrupted.