Reference Audit Guide

Community

Boom5426

reference-audit-guide

Verify that cited references actually exist and that their metadata matches, using the runnable scripts this skill ships for CrossRef, Semantic Scholar, arXiv, and PubMed. Use when the bibliography must be checked against live sources rather than inspected locally: detecting fabricated or hallucinated citations, confirming that DOIs resolve, and matching title, authors, venue, and year against the record. Also covers the underlying verification principles and reference-audit best practices. For an offline hygiene pass over a .bib or .tex file, run citation-verifier first; for whether a real source supports the sentence citing it, run claim-source-verification.

Overview

Publisher	Boom5426
Repository	`Nature-Paper-Skills`
Skill name	`reference-audit-guide`
Stars	570
Forks	48
Bundled files	7
License	MIT
Links	Skill source Repository

Markdown instructions
A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.
Works with any LLM
AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.
7 bundled files
Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.
Open source
Published by Boom5426 on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Reference Audit Guide AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
Choose "Install from GitHub".
Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
https://github.com/Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills/tree/main/skills/optional/reference-audit-guide
Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.

Store

Installed

Skills

Add skills

Import one or more skills from a public GitHub folder or a local .skill or .zip archive, or SKILL.md file.

From GitHub URLFrom .skill, .zip, or SKILL.md

GitHub repo or folder

https://github.com/Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills/tree/main/skills/optional/reference-audit-guide

Points to a single skill folder, or any folder that contains multiple skills. Public repos only.

CancelContinue

Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills.git /tmp/Nature-Paper-Skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/Nature-Paper-Skills/skills/optional/reference-audit-guide .claude/skills/reference-audit-guide

Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Reference Audit Guide in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Reference Audit Guide on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Reference Audit Guide is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

Loaded only when it is needed
The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.
Switch models mid-chat
Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Citation Verification Reference Guide

Verification principles plus runnable citation checkers for academic writing.

Position in the citation pipeline

This repository separates three citation questions that are routinely confused. Run them in order.

citation-verifier: is the bibliography a well-formed artifact? Duplicate keys, missing fields, DOI syntax, cited-but-undefined. Offline, immediate.
This skill: does the cited work exist, and does its metadata match what the manuscript says? Queries live scholarly APIs. This is the only stage that catches a fabricated citation carrying a well-formed DOI.
claim-source-verification: does the real, correctly-cited source actually support the sentence citing it?

None of the three substitutes for another. A clean local scan shows the bibliography is well-formed, not that the papers are real. A verified DOI shows the paper is real, not that it says what the sentence claims.

Core Principle: Proactively verify every citation during the writing process using trusted scholarly sources rather than memory.

Core Problems

Citation issues in academic papers seriously impact research integrity:

Fake citations - Citing non-existent papers
Incorrect information - Mismatched authors, titles, years, etc.
Inconsistent formatting - Mixed citation formats
Missing citations - Referenced but uncited work

These issues can lead to:

Paper rejection or retraction
Damage to academic reputation
Reviewers questioning research rigor

Verification Principles

This skill provides verification principles based on trusted scholarly sources:

1. Proactive Verification

Core idea: Verify immediately when adding a citation, rather than checking after writing is complete.

Search for the paper each time a citation is needed
Confirm the paper exists in a trusted source
Add to bibliography only after verification passes

2. Source Hierarchy

Prefer these sources:

publisher page or DOI resolver
PubMed for biomedical papers
arXiv for preprints
Crossref or Semantic Scholar for metadata cross-checking
Google Scholar as a fallback discovery aid

3. Information Matching Verification

Information that must match:

Title
Authors
Year
Publication venue

4. Claim Verification

Key principle: When citing a specific claim, confirm the claim actually appears in the paper.

Access the paper PDF
Search for relevant keywords
Confirm the accuracy of the claim
Record the section or page where the claim appears

Best Practices

Never generate citations from memory
Do not guess when verification fails
Mark unverifiable references clearly
Differentiate preprints from published versions
Verify the claim, not just the metadata

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Reference Audit Guide AI skill do?

Why use Reference Audit Guide on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Reference Audit Guide is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Reference Audit Guide in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/Boom5426/Nature-Paper-Skills/tree/main/skills/optional/reference-audit-guide. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Reference Audit Guide?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Reference Audit Guide?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Reference Audit Guide with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Reference Audit Guide AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by Boom5426 under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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Overview

Installation

Install in TypingMind

Install in another agent

Use it in TypingMind

Works with any AI model

Skill instructions

Citation Verification Reference Guide

Position in the citation pipeline

Core Problems

Verification Principles

1. Proactive Verification

2. Source Hierarchy

3. Information Matching Verification

4. Claim Verification

Best Practices

Bundled files

Frequently asked questions

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