Give each reference a status of verified, disputed, or pending, name the unresolved issue and the sources already checked, and add one next action per item so your co-author can resume without repeating work.
Build the handoff table
Use one row per reference with these fields: citation as it currently appears, status, unresolved issue, sources already checked, next action, and owner. The status field carries the context: verified means the citation was checked against the original source; disputed means two sources disagree or a correction or retraction is involved; pending means the check has not been completed.
- Mark each reference as verified, disputed, or pending, and write the specific unresolved issue next to any item that is not verified. For example, "page range differs between the publisher page and the deposited DOI metadata" is a usable issue; "needs checking" is not.
- Record the sources already checked for each item, naming the service and the record consulted, such as a DOI lookup in Crossref or the publisher's article page. This tells your co-author where the trail currently ends.
- Write one next action per item that names the record to open and the decision it should settle, such as confirming the volume and page range against the publisher's version of record.
- Hand over the list in a shared file or reference manager library so edits stay in one place, and note who owns each open item.
What to check before you hand off
ICMJE recommends verifying references against original sources, citing direct sources where possible, identifying retractions, and following the journal's reference style. Those checks map directly onto the status field: an item counts as verified when it has been compared with the original source, and a retraction check belongs in the disputed or pending notes when it has not been completed.
A DOI lookup in Crossref returns the metadata deposited for that DOI, so it can confirm what was deposited while leaving a mismatch with the publisher's page unresolved. Record that mismatch as the unresolved issue and set the next action to compare the two records.
If the list lives in Zotero, run duplicate detection before handoff and merge duplicate items; the merge interface preserves collections and tags while combining item records. This keeps your co-author from resolving the same reference twice under two entries.
Keep the notes short
One sentence per field is enough. The goal is that your co-author can open any row, see what was already checked, and take the next step without asking you which database or page was consulted.