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Validate Bib

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pedrohcgs
validate-bib

Validate bibliography entries against citations in all lecture files. Structural checks (missing/unused entries, malformed fields) by default; `--semantic` adds citation-drift detection, DOI verification, and style-consistency checks.

Overview

Publisherpedrohcgs
Repositoryclaude-code-my-workflow
Skill namevalidate-bib
Stars
1.6K
Forks
3.1K
Bundled files
Instructions only
LicenseMIT
Links
  • 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.

  • Self-contained

    Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.

  • Open source

    Published by pedrohcgs on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

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

1

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.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
    https://github.com/pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow/tree/main/.claude/skills/validate-bib
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

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/pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow.git /tmp/claude-code-my-workflow
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/claude-code-my-workflow/.claude/skills/validate-bib .claude/skills/validate-bib
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Validate Bib 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 Validate Bib 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 Validate Bib 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.

Validate Bibliography

Cross-reference citations in lecture files against bibliography entries. Two modes:

  • Default (structural): missing entries, unused entries, malformed fields, typo candidates.
  • --semantic: adds citation-drift detection (duplicate entries for the same paper), DOI verification via crossref, and citation-style consistency within each file.

Report saved to quality_reports/bib_audit_[structural|semantic].md.

Mode 1: Structural (default)

Steps

  1. Read the bibliography file and extract all citation keys.

  2. Scan lecture files for citation keys:

    • .tex: \cite{, \citet{, \citep{, \citeauthor{, \citeyear{, \textcite{, \parencite{
    • .qmd / .md: @key, [@key], [@key1; @key2]
    • Extract all unique citation keys used.
  3. Cross-reference:

    • Missing entries (CRITICAL): cited in lectures, absent from .bib.
    • Unused entries (informational): in .bib but never cited.
    • Typo candidates: keys within edit-distance 2 of a .bib key (e.g., Smith2020 vs Smth2020).
  4. Check entry quality:

    • Required fields present (author, title, year, journal/booktitle).
    • Author field properly formatted.
    • Year in 1900–current.
    • No malformed characters / encoding issues.
    • doi field normalized (no leading https://doi.org/).
  5. Write report to quality_reports/bib_audit_structural.md.

Files scanned

Slides/*.tex
Quarto/*.qmd
guide/*.qmd
master_supporting_docs/**/*.tex

Bibliography location

Bibliography_base.bib at repo root by default; override via CLAUDE.md.

Mode 2: Semantic (--semantic)

Everything in Mode 1, plus:

2a. Citation drift detection

Multiple .bib entries describing the same paper under different keys. Symptoms:

  • Smith2020 + Smith2020a with identical DOI or title.
  • CallawaySantAnna2021 + CS2021 both pointing to the same paper.
  • Collaborator-merged .bib files.

Detection heuristics (any → FLAG):

CheckSignal
Same DOI across keysHard-duplicate (CRITICAL)
Same title (case-insensitive, punct-stripped)Likely duplicate (CRITICAL)
Same author+year+journalProbable duplicate (MEDIUM)
Title Jaccard > 0.85 on tokens ≥ 4 charsSoft-duplicate (LOW)

For each flagged pair: list both keys, where each is cited, and recommend a canonical key (prefer most-cited, then alphabetically first).

2b. DOI verification (optional; network)

For each entry with a doi, fetch https://api.crossref.org/works/{doi} and compare:

  • First-author last name
  • Year
  • Title (Jaccard > 0.7 on normalized tokens)
  • Container-title / journal (exact or abbreviation)

Severity:

  • Author or title mismatch → CRITICAL (wrong paper)
  • Year mismatch → MEDIUM (preprint vs published, or typo)
  • Journal mismatch → LOW (legitimate preprint variants)

Rate limit: cap 50 lookups per run, 0.5s delay between calls. Cache in quality_reports/.doi_cache.json.

Opt-out: --skip-doi for offline or no-WebFetch environments.

2c. Style consistency within each file

For each file, count citation commands (\citet vs \citep vs \cite; @key vs [@key]). FLAG files with mixed styles without an obvious pattern (e.g., 20× \citep and 3× \cite in the same deck). Low-severity.

2d. Cite-claim sanity (flag-only)

Gated behind --cite-claim. For the top-10 most-cited works per file, WebFetch the crossref abstract and surface it beside the in-text context. No auto-judgment — humans decide if the claim matches.

This is existence/structure, not appropriateness. Deciding whether the cited paper actually says what the in-text claim attributes to it is /verify-claims's job — it reads the source and grounds a supports / partial / contradicts verdict in quotes + pages (with the EXPLAINED escape for a defensible named alternative). --cite-claim only surfaces the abstract; for the verdict, run /verify-claims.

Report structure (quality_reports/bib_audit_semantic.md)

markdown
# Bibliography Semantic Audit

**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Bibliography:** Bibliography_base.bib (N entries)
**Files scanned:** [list]

## Summary

| Check | Critical | Medium | Low |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structural | | | |
| Citation drift | | | |
| DOI verification | | | |
| Style consistency | 0 | 0 | |

## Critical Issues

### Duplicate entries
| Keys | Signal | Citations | Recommended canonical |
|---|---|---|---|

### DOI mismatches
| Key | Field | .bib value | crossref value |
|---|---|---|---|

## Medium / Low issues
…

## Next steps
1. Resolve duplicates — pick canonical key, update citations, remove orphans.
2. Fix DOI mismatches — verify paper in crossref or strip the wrong DOI.
3. Review style-consistency notes.

Exit behavior

  • Structural: exit 0; report enumerates issues.
  • Semantic: exit 0 if only LOW findings; exit 1 on any CRITICAL. Usable as a pre-submission gate.

Cross-references

  • .claude/skills/review-paper/SKILL.md — pair for full pre-submission.
  • .claude/skills/audit-reproducibility/SKILL.md — numeric-claims counterpart.
  • .claude/skills/verify-claims/SKILL.md — citation appropriateness counterpart (does the cited paper support the claim?). This skill checks that a citation exists and is well-formed; /verify-claims checks that it holds.

What this skill does NOT do

  • Judge whether a citation is used in the right context — whether the cited paper actually says what the claim attributes to it. That is /verify-claims's job (see 2d); this skill stays existence-and-structure only.
  • Auto-fix your .bib file — all edits are recommendations.
  • Check non-DOI identifiers (ISBN, arXiv, SSRN) — roadmap.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Validate Bib AI skill do?

Validate bibliography entries against citations in all lecture files. Structural checks (missing/unused entries, malformed fields) by default; `--semantic` adds citation-drift detection, DOI verification, and style-consistency checks.

Why use Validate Bib on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Validate Bib 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 Validate Bib in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow/tree/main/.claude/skills/validate-bib. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Validate Bib?

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 Validate Bib?

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

Is the Validate Bib AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by pedrohcgs 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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