Citation Management
Systematic citation management for accurate referencing in scientific and medical content.
Triggers
- User needs to format citations
- User asks for references in a specific style
- User needs to verify citation accuracy
- User wants to build a bibliography
- User is managing references for an article
Core Capabilities
Citation Discovery
Search Strategies by Database:
| Database | Best For | Search Tips | |----------|----------|-------------| | PubMed | Biomedical | Use MeSH terms, [au], [ti] tags | | Google Scholar | Broad coverage | Use exact phrases, author: operator | | Semantic Scholar | AI-powered relevance | Natural language queries | | CrossRef | DOI lookup | Search by DOI or metadata |
Metadata Extraction
From any identifier, extract:
- Authors (full names, order)
- Title (exact, including subtitles)
- Journal (official name, abbreviation)
- Year, volume, issue, pages
- DOI
- PMID (for PubMed articles)
Citation Style Formats
AMA (American Medical Association) - Used by JAMA, NEJM:
Yusuf S, Pitt B, Davis CE, et al. Effect of enalapril on survival in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fractions and congestive heart failure. N Engl J Med. 1991;325(5):293-302. doi:10.1056/NEJM199108013250501
Vancouver (Numbered) - Common in medical journals:
1. Yusuf S, Pitt B, Davis CE, et al. Effect of enalapril on survival in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fractions and congestive heart failure. N Engl J Med 1991;325:293-302.
APA 7th Edition:
Yusuf, S., Pitt, B., Davis, C. E., Hood, W. B., & Cohn, J. N. (1991). Effect of enalapril on survival in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fractions and congestive heart failure. New England Journal of Medicine, 325(5), 293-302. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199108013250501
Nature Style:
Yusuf, S. et al. Effect of enalapril on survival in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fractions and congestive heart failure. N. Engl. J. Med. 325, 293-302 (1991).
BibTeX Format
@article{yusuf1991effect,
author = {Yusuf, Salim and Pitt, Bertram and Davis, Clarence E and Hood, William B and Cohn, Jay N},
title = {Effect of enalapril on survival in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fractions and congestive heart failure},
journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},
volume = {325},
number = {5},
pages = {293--302},
year = {1991},
doi = {10.1056/NEJM199108013250501},
pmid = {2057034}
}
Citation Validation
Required Checks
- [ ] DOI resolves correctly
- [ ] Author names spelled correctly
- [ ] Year matches publication
- [ ] Journal name official (not abbreviated incorrectly)
- [ ] Page numbers accurate
- [ ] No duplicate entries
Common Errors to Catch
- Incorrect author order
- Missing co-authors (et al. threshold varies by style)
- Wrong publication year
- Journal abbreviation vs full name inconsistency
- Missing DOI when available
- PMID/DOI mismatch
Workflow Integration
For Newsletter Writing
- Identify claims needing citation
- Search PubMed for supporting evidence
- Extract DOI/PMID from best sources
- Format in consistent style (usually AMA for medical)
- Verify each citation before publishing
For Academic Content
- Maintain running bibliography as you write
- Use consistent identifier (DOI preferred)
- Cross-reference with literature-review skill
- Verify against CrossRef before submission
- Format per target journal requirements
Quick Reference
Convert DOI to Citation
- Go to doi.org/[DOI]
- Extract metadata from landing page
- Format per required style
- Verify author count and order
Convert PMID to Citation
- Search PubMed with PMID
- Use "Cite" button for formatted output
- Select desired format
- Verify completeness
Handling Preprints
- Note preprint server (bioRxiv, medRxiv)
- Include "Preprint" designation
- Add DOI (preprint DOIs differ from published)
- Update citation if peer-reviewed version publishes
Best Practices
- Always include DOI when available
- Verify primary sources - don't cite citations
- Update preprint citations when published
- Use consistent style throughout document
- Check et al. thresholds - varies by style (3, 6, or 7 authors)
- Include access dates for online-only sources
- Note retractions - check Retraction Watch