Build a gap register that maps each claim to its cited source, records whether that source is primary or secondary, and assigns a verification action with an owner and a due date. The register becomes the working document you close out before resubmission.
Set up the register
Create one row per claim that carries an evidential burden, not one row per reference. Columns that make the register actionable:
- Manuscript location (section, paragraph, sentence)
- Claim as written
- Cited source and source type (primary study, review, secondary report)
- Verification status (verified against original, unverified, retracted)
- Action needed (retrieve original, replace source, soften claim, delete)
- Owner and due date
Run the workflow
- Extract claims from the manuscript and log each with its passage location and current citation. Expected result: a complete list of claims tied to specific text.
- Retrieve each cited source and check the claim against the original rather than a secondary description. ICMJE advises authors to verify references against original sources and to cite direct sources where possible. Expected result: each row marked verified or flagged.
- Check flagged sources for retraction status, which ICMJE also directs authors to identify. Expected result: retracted sources moved to the action column for replacement.
- For claims with no adequate source, plan a targeted search: define the question, choose the databases and sources, and record the strategy and results. The Cochrane Handbook describes planning searches, selecting sources, developing strategies, searching reference lists, and documenting searches. Expected result: a documented search trail for each new source you add.
- Confirm the bibliographic details of every retained reference against deposited metadata. A Crossref DOI lookup returns the metadata deposited for that DOI, which lets you compare title, authors, and journal against your reference list. Expected result: corrected entries or a note that the record remains unresolved.
- Apply the journal's reference style and close each row only when its action is complete. Expected result: a register with no open rows and a manuscript whose citations match the verified sources.
Decide what to do with unresolved rows
When a source cannot be retrieved or a metadata check does not match, mark the row unresolved and assign the next verification step, such as contacting the author or checking the publisher record. Do not treat a missing result in one database as proof that a source does not exist.
Keep the register as an audit trail
Retain the completed register with your submission files. It shows which claims rest on verified primary sources and which were revised, and it gives co-authors a shared list of remaining actions before the resubmission deadline.