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| 1 | +# Check consistency |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +JabRef can check the consistency of a library. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +This feature is available through **Quality → Check consistency**. |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +## Background |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +You’re finalizing your research paper for an upcoming conference, and the deadline is near. While reviewing your references, you notice inconsistencies - some citations are missing DOIs others are missing page numbers. Manually identifying these across dozens of entries is tedious and time-consuming. |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +JabRef now makes this process effortless with its Bibliography Consistency Check feature. It automatically scans your references, identifies missing or inconsistent fields, and presents a structured report, allowing you to fix issues with just a few clicks. |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +## How to use |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | +1. Open JabRef and go to the Quality menu. |
| 16 | +2. Click on "Check Consistency" (below "Check Integrity"). |
| 17 | +3. JabRef will run the check on your entire library and show the results in a new window. |
| 18 | +4. The result window will display entries grouped by their entry type (e.g., articles, books). |
| 19 | +5. Each entry will be shown in a table with columns indicating whether required fields are present (x), optional fields are present (o), or if a field is missing (-). |
| 20 | +6. If any entry has missing fields, click on it to go directly to the entry in the entry editor. |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +## Checking a .bib File for Consistency |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +Let’s say we have a .bib file like this: |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +```bibtex |
| 27 | +@Article{Corti_2009, |
| 28 | + author = {Corti, Roberto and Flammer, Andreas J. and Hollenberg, Norman K. and Lüscher, Thomas F.}, |
| 29 | + title = {Cocoa and Cardiovascular Health}, |
| 30 | + journaltitle = {Circulation}, |
| 31 | + issn = {1475-2662}, |
| 32 | + volume = {119} |
| 33 | +} |
| 34 | +
|
| 35 | +@Article{Cooper_2007, |
| 36 | + author = {Cooper, Karen A. and Donovan, Jennifer L. and Waterhouse, Andrew L. and Williamson, Gary}, |
| 37 | + title = {Cocoa and health: a decade of research}, |
| 38 | + issn = {1743-7075}, |
| 39 | + volume = {99} |
| 40 | +} |
| 41 | +``` |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +Here, the second entry is missing the journal field, which is required for an article. Running the Check Consistency tool will highlight this issue as shown: |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | +## Results Window |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +The result window is designed to present the consistency check results in an easily digestible format: |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +- **Entry Type Headings**: The first column lists the name of the selected entry type. |
| 54 | +- **Choose Entry type**: Entry types (such as article, book, in-proceedings, etc.) will be listed in a dropdown menu. |
| 55 | +- **Columns**: |
| 56 | + - **Column 2**: Citation key of the entry. |
| 57 | + - **Other columns**: Represent the fields and their status (`x`, `o`, `?`, or `-`). |
| 58 | +- **Navigation**: Clicking on a line in the table will take you directly to the corresponding entry in the editor, making it easy to address inconsistencies. |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +## Symbols in the Results |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +The following symbols will be used to indicate the presence or absence of fields: |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +- `x`: Required field is present. |
| 65 | +- `o`: Optional field is present. |
| 66 | +- `?`: Unknown field is present. |
| 67 | +- `-`: Field is absent. |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +This simple system helps you quickly identify entries that need attention. |
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