| name | verify-refs |
| description | Use when checking BibTeX reference records for missing fields, malformed identifiers, duplicate keys, or metadata mismatches before submission. |
| allowed-tools | Read, Glob, Bash, WebFetch |
/verify-refs — Reference Authenticity Check
Purpose
Check reference records for missing required fields, duplicate keys, malformed DOI values, malformed arXiv identifiers, and invalid URLs. The default mode is offline and deterministic.
Trigger Words
This skill activates on: verify refs, verify references, reference check, /verify-refs.
Workflow
- Identify the target Markdown or
.bib file. If the user does not specify one, ask.
- Resolve the bundled helper at
scripts/verify-refs.py relative to this SKILL.md, then run it from the project root:
python3 {skill_dir}/scripts/verify-refs.py --bib {path} --json
- Report issues by entry key and severity.
- For explicit metadata verification, run:
python3 {skill_dir}/scripts/verify-refs.py --bib {path} --json --online
- Use CrossRef for DOI metadata, Semantic Scholar as a secondary metadata source, and arXiv for preprint identifiers. Online checks must be explicit because they depend on network availability.
- In tests or offline review, use
--metadata-dir {dir} to read CrossRef JSON, Semantic Scholar JSON, and arXiv Atom fixtures instead of live network calls.
Constraints
- Do not import project-specific reference rules from other repositories.
- Do not auto-fix reference records without user approval.
- Keep output plain Markdown with no emoji.
- Treat CrossRef, Semantic Scholar, and arXiv as verification sources, not as citation style authorities.
