SkillFoxx

BibTeX Verifier skill

BibTeX Verifier checks .bib files against OpenAlex, CrossRef and DataCite and flags references with errors or invented data.

  • 144 ★ on the repository
  • Last commit
  • MIT
Skill

Minimal access

Why this level

  • Entry metadata is sent to the external OpenAlex, CrossRef and DataCite databases.
All reasons and checks

altman-conquer/bibtex-verifierAuthor:Altman-conquer

Install

Manual install

pip install bibtex-verifier

PyPI install from the Installation section. Version 0.2.0 has no skills; clone the repository for them.

Access and checks

How we review

Minimal accessThe tool runs nothing and makes no network calls.

  • Entry metadata is sent to the external OpenAlex, CrossRef and DataCite databases.

This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.

What it does

BibTeX Verifier checks every `.bib` entry against three sources: DOI lookup through CrossRef and DataCite, title search through OpenAlex. It compares title, year, first-author surname and author count. The result is a Markdown report, with a machine-readable file next to it when `--json` is set. The repository carries a `verify-bibtex` skill for Claude Code and Codex. The agent clones the project, installs the repository version, runs the check and reports the report path, entry counts per status and the reason for each anomaly. API rate limits and timeouts get the status `UNVERIFIED`, never `NOT_FOUND`.

Who it is for. Graduate students, researchers and editors preparing a LaTeX paper who fear that a model-invented citation survived in the bibliography.

Good fit when

  • The whole `.bib` file is checked before submitting a paper to a journal.
  • A draft was written with AI help and the sources are not trusted.
  • A reviewer pointed out wrong years and authors in the reference list.
  • A DOI in an entry suspiciously fails to resolve.
  • The check runs from CI or a script through `bibverify paper.bib`.

Not a fit when

  • The source is not indexed in OpenAlex, CrossRef or DataCite: a missing record does not prove fabrication.
  • You want the bibliography fixed rather than reported: the skill reports problems and does not rewrite the `.bib`.
  • References are stored in a format other than BibTeX.

Example request

Check `paper.bib` with the verify-bibtex skill, give the report path, entry counts per status and the reason for each error.

Limitations

Only title, year, first-author surname and author count are checked. Entries with no match need manual review, since books, preprints and reports are indexed incompletely. Reliable OpenAlex batch search needs a free `OPENALEX_API_KEY`; without it HTTP 429 and `UNVERIFIED` are possible. Entry metadata is sent to three external databases. The PyPI 0.2.0 release has no skills; clone the repository for them.

How to disable. Remove the package with `pip uninstall bibtex-verifier` and the `verify-bibtex` skill folder from the agent's skills directory. Clear the variable with `unset OPENALEX_API_KEY`.

FAQ

How do I call the skill in Claude Code?

With `/verify-bibtex /absolute/path/paper.bib` from the root of the cloned repository. Codex uses `$verify-bibtex /absolute/path/paper.bib`.

Is an OpenAlex key required?

It is needed for reliable batch checks. The key is free and set through `OPENALEX_API_KEY`; without it OpenAlex may return 429.

What does the UNVERIFIED status mean?

The service could not answer because of a limit or timeout. It is not a conclusion that a reference is invented; recheck such entries.

Can I use it without installing?

Yes, the project has an online version on GitHub Pages. The `.bib` file stays in the browser, while metadata goes straight to OpenAlex, CrossRef and DataCite.

What options does `bibverify` have?

`--output` sets the report path, `--json` saves raw results, `--title-threshold` and `--author-threshold` change fuzzy-match limits, `--email` adds a contact address to requests.

Discussion

No questions or reviews yet.

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README in short

The project ships a CLI, Python API, web version and agent skill. A missing database record is not treated as fabrication, and API limits are separated from real mismatches.

README badge

Original SKILL.md

---
name: verify-bibtex
description: Set up this repository's BibTeX Verifier and check a user's .bib file, then explain citation matches, warnings, missing records, and API failures.
---

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