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Quotational and reference accuracy in surgical journals. A continuing peer review problem
J T Evans1, H I Nadjari, S A Burchell
1Department of Surgery, Nassau County Medical Center, East Meadow, NY 11554.
JAMA
|March 9, 1990
Summary
Authors frequently make errors in surgical journal references, suggesting a lack of thorough checking by both authors and reviewers. This impacts the accuracy of scientific literature.
Area of Science:
- Medical Publishing
- Surgical Journals
- Scientific Accuracy
Background:
- Accurate referencing is crucial for scientific integrity in medical publications.
- Previous studies have indicated potential issues with reference accuracy in academic literature.
- The quality of references in surgical journals requires ongoing evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the frequency and types of citation and quotation errors in prominent surgical journals.
- To investigate the extent to which authors and reviewers verify references.
- To provide data supporting hypotheses regarding reference checking practices.
Main Methods:
- Random selection of 50 references from a single issue of three major surgical journals.
- Systematic evaluation of selected references for citation accuracy.
- Identification and categorization of both citation and quotation errors.
Main Results:
- A significant number of errors were detected across the evaluated journals.
- Thirteen major and 41 minor citation errors were identified.
- Thirty-seven major quotation errors were also found, indicating widespread inaccuracies.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that authors may not adequately check or read their references.
- The data support the hypothesis that reference verification is often insufficient.
- It is proposed that reviewers may also neglect to thoroughly check references, impacting publication quality.