Our Promise for Safety

This blog serves as an explanation on how you can trust CiteCount. While I have tried simplifying the explanation and avoid being technical, feel free to ask us any questions, by clicking "Contact the developers" at the bottom of the page.

How is the developer behind CiteCount?

Hi! Thanks for your interest in knowing more about CiteCount. I am Chris, an IBDP student of the May 2025 examination session. This is a side project I started working on while procrastinating on my IAs, where I realised the problem of the inconvinence in counting the number of words in my IAs and EE due to the lack of support in word editing software such as Google Docs and Microsoft Word. There aren't any other solutions available as well, hence I decided to develop my own.

Why should I trust CiteCount?

CiteCount is a web application designed to help users count words in documents while excluding in-text citations. One of the most significant concerns for users of any online tool is safety and data privacy. Especially, as an IB student developing this tool, I understand the concern of the safety of your contents, against plagiarism detectors like Turnitin, or other similarity indexes. Hence in this blog post, I will explore how CiteCount ensures user safety through its design and operational mechanisms.

Client-Side Processing

One of the primary reasons CiteCount is considered safe is its architecture as a client-side JavaScript application. This means that all processing occurs directly in the user's browser, eliminating the need to send documents to external servers for analysis.

Benefits of Local Processing

Data Privacy: Since files are processed locally, the entered text remains on the user's device, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches.
No External Dependencies: CiteCount operates without third-party ads or services, further enhancing its security profile.

Technical Aspects of the File Upload System in CiteCount

CiteCount employs two powerful client-side libraries for its file upload system: PDF.js for PDF files and Mammoth.js for Word files. These technologies ensure a secure and efficient user experience.

PDF.js: Extracting Text from PDFs

Text Extraction: PDF.js is used to convert PDF documents into plain text. It reads the PDF file and extracts text content using the getTextContent method.
Client-Side Processing: The extraction occurs entirely in the user's browser, ensuring that sensitive data remains secure and private.
Asynchronous Handling: The library processes pages asynchronously, allowing for smooth performance without blocking the user interface.

Mammoth.js: Converting Word Files to HTML

File Handling: Uses an <input type="file"> element to read Word files as an ArrayBuffer.
Conversion Process: Converts Word content into clean HTML asynchronously, preserving semantic styles.
User Interaction: Displays converted HTML dynamically, allowing immediate access to document content.

Security Considerations

Both libraries operate entirely on the client side, enhancing security by:

Data Privacy: Ensuring sensitive information remains on the user's device.
No Server-Side Processing: Eliminating risks associated with file transmission over the internet.

Using LocalStorage in CiteCount for Data Safety

In CiteCount, LocalStorage plays a crucial role in enhancing user privacy and data security. By storing user data locally on the device, CiteCount ensures that sensitive information remains secure and is not transmitted to external servers.

How LocalStorage Works in CiteCount

Persistent Storage: LocalStorage allows CiteCount to save user preferences, document content, and other relevant data directly in the user's browser. This means that users can access their information even after closing and reopening the application.
No External Transmission: By utilizing LocalStorage, CiteCount eliminates the need to send user data over the internet. All operations related to document management occur locally, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches.
Efficient Data Management: Users can upload documents and manage their content without worrying about losing their progress. LocalStorage can be used to temporarily hold text extracted from PDFs or DOCX files until the user decides to clear it or save it permanently.

Security Considerations

Using LocalStorage enhances security by:

Data Privacy: Sensitive information remains on the user's device, inaccessible to external entities.
User Control: Users have full control over their stored data, with options to clear or modify it as needed.

LocalStorage is an integral part of the CiteCount application, providing a secure and efficient way to manage user data while ensuring privacy and minimizing risks associated with data transmission.

This combination of technologies allows CiteCount to provide a robust and secure environment for managing documents effectively.

Open Source Transparency

CiteCount is an open-source application, which means that its source code is publicly available for review. This transparency allows developers and users alike to inspect the code for any potential vulnerabilities or malicious elements.

Conclusion

CiteCount provides a secure environment for users looking to manage their writing effectively. We believe our client-side processing, open-source nature, and user-centric features contribute to a trustworthy experience.

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