---
title: Scholar Sidekick for ChatGPT
description: Use Scholar Sidekick inside ChatGPT - verify whether a claimed citation is real (catches the real-DOI + fabricated-title pattern), format any identifier in 10,000+ styles, and check retraction status, each as an interactive citation card. Free, no sign-in or API key.
doc_version: "1.0"
last_updated: "2026-06-09"
---

# Scholar Sidekick for ChatGPT

> Verify, format, and retraction-check citations inside ChatGPT - each answer as an interactive citation card.
> Last updated: 2026-06-09
> HTML version: https://scholar-sidekick.com/integrations/chatgpt
> ChatGPT app directory: https://chatgpt.com/apps/scholar-sidekick/asdk_app_6a1cfe08d3a081919ed00f619418c457
> Built on the OpenAI Apps SDK, backed by the no-auth endpoint https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/apps/mcp

ChatGPT is increasingly where people draft, summarise, and check references - but a language model on its own cannot tell you whether the DOI it just produced points at the paper it claims to. The Scholar Sidekick app gives ChatGPT a direct line to the real scholarly record, so a *claimed* citation can be checked against what its identifier actually resolves to, inside the same conversation.

> This is a verifier and formatter, not a paper search. The app works from identifiers and claimed citations you already have - it does not discover new literature. Use it when the question is "is this citation real?", "format this in APA", or "has this been retracted?"

## What it does

| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Verify citation | Check whether a claimed citation matches the real record at its identifier - the dominant AI-fabrication pattern (Topaz et al., Lancet 2026) is a real, resolvable DOI wearing an invented title. Returns a verdict: matched, mismatch, not_found, or ambiguous. |
| Format citation | Resolve one to five identifiers and format them in Vancouver, APA, AMA, IEEE, CSE, or any of 10,000+ CSL styles. |
| Check retraction | See whether a work has been retracted, corrected, or had an expression of concern raised (Crossref / Retraction Watch). |

Every answer renders as an interactive citation card - the verdict, the formatted reference, or the retraction status - rather than a wall of text.

## How to add it

1. Open the Scholar Sidekick listing in the ChatGPT app directory (https://chatgpt.com/apps/scholar-sidekick/asdk_app_6a1cfe08d3a081919ed00f619418c457) and enable it.
2. In any conversation, ask in natural language - "verify this citation", "format this DOI in Vancouver", "has this paper been retracted?" - or pick Scholar Sidekick from the apps menu.
3. ChatGPT calls the app and shows the citation card inline. No configuration file and no API key required.

## Supported identifiers

DOI, PMID, PMCID, ISBN, ISSN, arXiv id, ADS bibcode, and WHO IRIS URL. A citation with no resolvable identifier is reported as unverifiable rather than guessed at.

## How it differs from the MCP server

Same citation engine, different host. The [MCP server](https://scholar-sidekick.com/mcp) gives Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients the full six-tool surface; the ChatGPT App exposes the three highest-value read-only tools (verify, format, retraction) with an interactive citation-card widget built for ChatGPT. Both are backed by the public Scholar Sidekick API.

## Free, no API key

The app uses the anonymous tier over a no-auth connection. No API key and no Scholar Sidekick account are required; a ChatGPT account is needed only because the app runs inside ChatGPT.

## Privacy

- The app sends only the identifiers and citation text you ask it to check, to `https://scholar-sidekick.com` over HTTPS.
- No API key or account required; the anonymous tier is used.
- Inputs are not retained or used for training. See the [privacy policy](https://scholar-sidekick.com/legal/privacy) for full disclosure.

## Related

- [Integrations index](https://scholar-sidekick.com/integrations) - all first-party integrations
- [MCP server](https://scholar-sidekick.com/mcp) - the full six-tool surface for Claude, Cursor, and other agents
- [Citation verifier](https://scholar-sidekick.com/tools/citation-verifier) - the same fabrication check as a free web tool
- [API docs](https://scholar-sidekick.com/docs) - REST + OpenAPI spec for programmatic access from any client

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://scholar-sidekick.com/sitemap.md) for all pages.