Frequently Asked Questions

Typical time: 30-60 seconds per paper

The API uses asynchronous processing:

1. You submit a request → Get instant job_id
2. Paper queues for processing (~5-10 seconds)
3. Claude analyzes methodology (~30-45 seconds)
4. Results available via GET /api/verify/:id

Maximum time: 2 minutes for complex papers

Yes. VerifyScience uses a "bring your own key" model.

Why this model?

• ✅ You control your AI costs directly
• ✅ No surprise bills from us
• ✅ We keep subscription prices low (95% margin = lower fees)
• ✅ Your key = your Claude usage limits

How to get a key:

1. Sign up at console.anthropic.com
2. Navigate to API Keys section
3. Generate new key
4. Add it in VerifyScience Settings

Security: Your key is encrypted with AES-256-GCM before storage.

What it means: You've used all monthly verifications

Solutions:

1. Wait for reset: Quota resets 1st of each month at 00:00 UTC
2. Upgrade plan: Get more verifications instantly
   • Starter: 199/month (£4.99)
   • Professional: 499/month (£9.99)

DOI format must be: 10.XXXX/identifier

Rate limits by tier:

How to handle:

• Implement exponential backoff in your code
• Upgrade tier for higher limits

1. Visit the Chrome Web Store listing
2. Click "Add to Chrome"
3. Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome's toolbar and pin VerifyScience
4. Click the extension icon → "Connect to VerifyScience" (one-time setup)

Currently supported: PubMed (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Coming soon: bioRxiv, medRxiv, Google Scholar

On unsupported sites, the extension shows "Navigate to a Paper" with a list of supported sites.

No. The extension accesses only paper metadata (DOI, title, authors, abstract) from PubMed pages. No browsing history is tracked. No data is transmitted until you explicitly click "Verify This Paper".

Yes. Extension verifications use the same monthly quota as the web platform. Your quota is shared across all access methods (web, API, extension).

Upload an entire bibliography and scan every citation for retraction status, citation metrics, and open access availability. Three tiers:

• Tier 1 — Signal Scan: Free, instant. Cross-references every citation against OpenAlex and Crossref.
• Tier 2 — Quick Check: AI abstract triage. 1 credit per reference.
• Tier 3 — Deep Verify: Full 12-criterion assessment. 1 credit per reference.

Limits depend on your subscription tier:

• Free: Reference scan not available
• Starter: Up to 10 references per scan
• Professional: Up to 50 references per scan
• Enterprise: Unlimited

Multi-language supported. VerifyScience can analyse papers in multiple languages. A language badge is displayed for non-English papers. Analysis quality is strongest for English and major European languages.

Using Claude Sonnet 4 with structured prompting:

• 85-90% agreement with human experts
• <10% false positive rate
• Best at: Sample size, statistical tests, design
• Limitations: Novel methods, field norms, theory