Pre-submission citation audit

Vancouver citations, verified in seconds.

Upload your .docx and Noctua audits your numbered (Vancouver) citations for order-of-appearance, missing/uncited references, gaps, duplicates, and missing DOI/PMID — then generates a clear, actionable report.

No signup required for your first audit.

Run a free audit View demo report
● Works with [1], (1), superscripts, and Lancet bare numbers ● Typical audit: seconds, not minutes ● DOCX manuscripts only
manuscript_v3_final.docx
30 references · 16 unique citations · 49 instances
Issues found
✖
Missing References — [12] cited in text but has no reference entry
⚠
Citation Order — First-mention sequence broken (4 need renumbering)
Renumber map
[5]→[3]Sullivan PS (2020)
[8]→[5]Mayer KH (2020)
[3]→[7]Grant RM (2010)
✔
No numbering gaps

Reference managers don't QA the final manuscript.

Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote organize your library and insert citations. They don't check what's actually in the document you're about to submit.

  • Citations that point to references that don't exist
  • References in the list that are never cited in text
  • Out-of-order numbering after revisions (Vancouver order-of-first-mention)
  • Numbering gaps — 1, 2, 4…
  • Duplicate entries under different numbers
  • Missing DOI, PMID, or URL metadata

The consequence

These errors trigger desk rejections, reviewer friction, and last-minute renumber scrambles right before submission. They're the kind of issue that delays publication by weeks.

Noctua runs a structural audit on the manuscript you're actually submitting — not the library you intended to cite.

What Noctua audits

Six structural checks for Vancouver / numbered citations

✖
Error

Missing References

Citations [N] in text with no corresponding reference entry in the list

↕
Warning

Citation Order

Out-of-sequence numbering with a full renumber map showing old → new

📖
Warning

Uncited References

References listed but never cited anywhere in the body text

⚠
Warning

Numbering Gaps

Missing numbers in the reference sequence (e.g., 1, 2, 4)

🔃
Warning

Potential Duplicates

Same author + year appearing under different reference numbers

🔗
Info

Missing Identifiers

References without DOI, PMID, or URL — required by most journals

Run a free audit

See your report instantly — no signup required

From upload to actionable report

1

Upload

Drag and drop your .docx manuscript (10 MB max)

2

Audit

Instant analysis — six structural checks in seconds

3

Report

Color-coded findings, severity badges, and a renumber map

4

Track

Persistent audit history so you can re-audit after revisions

What you get in every report

  • A list of issues with exact citation numbers and reference details
  • A renumber map showing what needs to change and why
  • A clear pass/fail state for order-of-appearance integrity
  • Severity-tagged findings: errors, warnings, and informational notes

Handles the citation styles journals actually use

Most tools only support one format. Noctua detects and parses all four automatically.

[1], [1, 3–5]

Bracketed

Standard Vancouver format

(1), (1, 3–5)

Parenthetical

Common in CDC / public health

text1,3-5

Superscript

Word formatting + Unicode

text. 1,2 Next

Bare number

Lancet-style inline numbers

Numbered citations (Vancouver-style) only. Author-date styles (APA, Harvard) are not supported.

Built for one job. Does it well.

Noctua is

  • A structural citation linter
  • A pre-submission compliance check
  • Vancouver / numbered-first
  • A diagnostic tool (find problems)

Noctua is not

  • A reference manager (use Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote)
  • A grammar checker (use Grammarly)
  • An author-date checker (see ReciteWorks for APA)
  • A style editor or converter (see Thrix)

Built for biomedical manuscripts

Designed to catch order-of-appearance failures after heavy revision cycles, coauthor merges, and section restructuring.

6
Structural checks per audit
4
Citation formats detected
<10s
Typical audit time

Simple pricing

Start free. Upgrade when you need more.

Free

$0/mo
 
  • 3 audits per month
  • Full diagnostic report
  • All 6 structural checks
  • Persistent audit history
Sign up free

For occasional submissions and students

Popular

Researcher

$5/mo
or $48/year (save 20%)
  • Unlimited audits
  • Full diagnostic report
  • All 6 structural checks
  • Persistent audit history
Start free, upgrade anytime

For medical writers, editors, and frequent revisers

Privacy-first by design

Your manuscripts are yours. Here's exactly what happens with your data.

🔒

Encrypted in transit

All uploads over HTTPS/TLS. Your manuscript never travels in the clear.

🗑

Temporary processing

Uploaded files are deleted after audit completion. Only the structured report is retained.

🚫

No AI training

Your text is never used to train models. Noctua uses deterministic parsing, not machine learning.

✂

You control deletion

Delete your audit history at any time. Your account, your data, your call.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly does Noctua do?
It audits your DOCX manuscript's numbered (Vancouver) citations and reference list for structural integrity: missing/uncited references, out-of-order numbering, gaps, duplicates, and missing identifiers. You get an instant diagnostic report with exact citation numbers and a renumber map.
Is Noctua a reference manager like Zotero or EndNote?
No. Reference managers organize libraries and insert citations. Noctua checks the final manuscript for citation integrity after revisions and restructuring — the step those tools don't cover.
What file types do you support?
.docx manuscripts only. This is the format most journals accept for submission. PDF and LaTeX support is not currently available.
Which citation styles does it support?
Numbered Vancouver-style systems, including bracketed [1], parenthetical (1), Word superscript, and Lancet-style bare numbers. Author-date styles (APA, Harvard, Chicago) are not supported.
Does Noctua automatically renumber my manuscript?
Not yet. Noctua provides an actionable renumber map and exact diagnostics so you can correct quickly. The map shows every old → new number with the corresponding author and year. Auto-renumbering is on the roadmap.
How accurate is the duplicate detection?
It flags potential duplicates using author + year pattern matching. You review and confirm — Noctua doesn't delete anything automatically.
Will this catch every possible reference formatting issue?
Noctua focuses on structural integrity — the errors that break Vancouver compliance. It doesn't check punctuation, italics, or journal-specific style variations. It catches the errors that cause desk rejections.
Is my manuscript private? Do you store it?
Your uploaded file is deleted after the audit completes. Only the structured report (citation numbers, findings, reference metadata) is stored. Your text is never used for AI training — Noctua uses deterministic parsing, not machine learning.
Can I use it before the manuscript is “final”?
Yes. Noctua is designed for any stage. Run it after every major revision to catch citation drift early. Frequent re-audits are the point.
Who is this for?
Biomedical researchers, medical writers and editors, health sciences trainees, and journal teams that deal with numbered (Vancouver/ICMJE) citations.
Why is this important for Vancouver style specifically?
Vancouver requires sequential numbering in the order references first appear in the text. This breaks easily during revisions, paragraph moves, and coauthor merges — and it's tedious to verify manually across a long manuscript.
What's included in the free plan?
3 audits per month and the full diagnostic report (all 6 checks, renumber map, severity badges). You can evaluate the full product value before paying. One anonymous audit is available without signing up.

Ready to submit with confidence?

Upload your manuscript and get an actionable citation audit in seconds.

Run a free audit View demo report