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Reference accuracy in the emergency medicine literature
R Goldberg1, E Newton, J Cameron
1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
Annals of Emergency Medicine
|September 1, 1993
Summary
Errors in emergency medicine literature citations and quotations are common. Many authors do not verify primary sources, impacting the reliability of published research.
Area of Science:
- Medical Literature Analysis
- Academic Publishing Integrity
- Emergency Medicine Research
Background:
- Accurate referencing is crucial for scientific integrity.
- Previous studies have highlighted issues in citation accuracy across various medical fields.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the frequency and types of errors in citations and quotations within emergency medicine journals.
- To assess the extent to which primary sources are verified by authors in this field.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of a random sample of references from three major emergency medicine journals.
- Four independent reviewers evaluated 145 references for citational and quotational accuracy.
- Examined issues of Annals of Emergency Medicine, Journal of Emergency Medicine, and American Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Main Results:
- Significant citation errors (major/minor) occurred in 27.5% of references.
- Quotational errors were prevalent, with 35.2% qualitative and 47% quantitative errors.
- Primary source verification was lacking in 41.4% of reviewed references, with 82% of qualitative errors being major.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals a high error rate in emergency medicine literature referencing.
- A considerable proportion of authors fail to verify primary sources, compromising research accuracy.
- Recommendations are proposed to enhance the reliability of emergency medicine publications.