AI-generated references that don’t exist

Symptoms

• The title can’t be found in any database
• The DOI fails or points to another article

Common causes

• Models generate text that looks like a citation instead of querying a database
• No web retrieval, or retrieved results were cited incorrectly

How to fix

1. Look up each title or DOI in Crossref, Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar or CNKI
2. Open the DOI and check authors, year and journal
3. Cite only what you have read (at least the abstract)
4. Use source-grounded tools: find papers yourself, add them to NotebookLM or Zotero, and let AI answer only from them
5. Re-check the whole reference list before submission

Notes

• ICMJE notes AI output can be incorrect, incomplete or biased and authors must review it