Accuracy of cited “facts” in medical research articles: A review of study methodology and recalculation of quotation error rate

PLoS ONE

Volumn 12, Issue 9, 2017, Pages

  Mogull, Scott A ^a  

^a TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ASSERTIVENESS; CALCULATION; ERROR; HUMAN; MEDICAL RESEARCH; QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS; SYSTEMATIC REVIEW; MEDICAL LITERATURE; PUBLICATION; STANDARDS;

BIBLIOGRAPHY AS TOPIC; BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH; HUMANS; MEDICAL WRITING; PERIODICALS AS TOPIC;

EID: 85029904309     PISSN: None     EISSN: 19326203     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184727     Document Type: Article

References (60)

1. Ingelfinger FJ. Seduction by citation. N Engl J Med. 1976; 295(19): 1075–6. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM197611042951911 PMID: 972662
2. Greenberg SA. How citation distortions create unfounded authority: analysis of a citation network. BMJ. 2009; 339: b2680 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2680 PMID: 19622839
3. Simkin MV, Roychowdhury VP. Stochastic modeling of citation slips. Scientometrics. 2005; 62(3): 367–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-005-0028-2
4. Simkin MV, Roychowdhury VP. A mathematical theory of citing. J Am Soc Inf Sci Technol. 2007; 58 (11): 1661–73. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20653
5. Jergas H, Baethge C. Quotation accuracy in medical journal articles—a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ. 2015; 3: e1364. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1364 PMID: 26528420
6. de Lacey G, Record C, Wade J. How accurate are quotations and references in medical journals? BMJ. 1985; 291(6499): 884–6. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.291.6499.884 PMID: 3931753
7. Wager E, Middleton P. Technical editing of research reports in biomedical journals. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008; 4:MR000002. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.MR000002.pub3 PMID: 18843753
8. Mertens S, Baethge C. The virtues of correct citation: careful referencing is important but is often neglected even in peer reviewed articles. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011; 108(33): 550–2. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2011.0550 PMID: 21912574
9. Riesenberg LA, Dontineni. Systematic review of articles describing studies of reference inaccuracies. Guthrie J Donald Guthrie Found Med Res. 2003; 72(3): 80–5.
10. Nourbakhsh E, Nugent R, Wang H, Cevik C, Nugent K. Medical literature searches: a comparison of PubMed and Google Scholar. Health Info Libr J. 2012; 29(3): 214–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.14711842.2012.00992.x PMID: 22925384
11. Shultz M. Comparing test searches in PubMed and Google Scholar. J Med Libr Assoc. 2007; 95(4): 442–5. https://doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.95.4.442 PMID: 17971893
12. Anders ME, Evans DP. Comparison of PubMed and Google Scholar literature searches. Respir Care. 2010; 55(5): 578–3. PMID: 20420728
13. Riesenberg LA, Dontineni S. Review of reference inaccuracies. Paper presented at: 4th International Congress on Peer Review in Biomedical Publication; 2001 Sept 14–6; Barcelona, Spain.
14. Warren KJ, Bhatia N, Teh W, Fleming M, Lange M. Reference and quotation accuracy in the major and minor infectious diseases journals. Paper presented at: 3rd International Congress on Peer Review in Biomedical Publication; 1997 Sep 18–20; Prague, Czech Republic.
15. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical journals. 2016. http://www.icmje.org/recommendations.
16. Mogull SA. Scientific and medical communication: a guide for effective practice. 1st ed. New York: Routledge; 2018.
17. Lowry SR. How accurate are quotations and references in medical journals? BMJ. 1985; 291(6506): 1421. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.291.6506.1421
18. Neihouse PF, Priske SC. Quotation accuracy in review articles. DICP. 1988; 23(7–8): 594–6.
19. Awrey J, Inaba K, Barmparas G, Recinos G., Teixeira PG, Chan LS, et al. Reference accuracy in the general surgery literature. World J Surg. 2011; 35(3): 475–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-010-0912-7 PMID: 21161653
20. Al-Benna S, Rajgarhia P, Ahmed S, Sheikh Z. Accuracy of references in burns journals. Burns. 2009; 35(5): 677–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2008.11.014 PMID: 19303718
21. Buchan JC, Norris J, Kuper H. Accuracy of referencing in the ophthalmic literature. Am J Ophthalmol. 2005; 140(6): 1146–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2005.07.018 PMID: 16376672
22. Davids JR, Weigl DM, Edmonds JP, Blackhurst DW. Reference accuracy in peer-reviewed pediatric orthopaedic literature. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2010; 92(5): 1155–61. https://doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.I.00063 PMID: 20439661
23. Eichorn P, Yankauer A. Do authors check their references? A survey of accuracy of references in three public health journals. Am J Public Health. 1987; 77(8): 1011–2. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.77.8.1011 PMID: 3079520
24. Evans JT, Nadjari HI, Burchell SA. Quotational and reference accuracy in surgical journals: A continuing peer review problem. JAMA. 1990; 263(10): 1353–4. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1990.03440100059009 PMID: 2304213
25. Fenton JE, Brazier H, Souza A, Hughes JP, McShane DP. The accuracy of citation and quotation in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery journals. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 2000; 25(1): 40–4. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2273.2000.00322.x PMID: 10764235
26. George PM, Robbins K. Reference accuracy in the dermatologic literature. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1994; 31(1): 61–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0190-9622(94)70136-9 PMID: 8021373
27. Goldberg R, Newton E, Cameron J, Jacobson R, Chan L, Bukata WR, et al. Reference accuracy in the emergency medicine literature. Ann Emerg Med. 1993; 22(9): 1450–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-0644(05)81995-X PMID: 8363119
28. Hansen ME, McIntire DD. Reference citations in radiology: accuracy and appropriateness of use in two major journals. Am J Roentgenol. 1994; 163(3): 719–23. https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.163.3.8079876 PMID: 8079876
29. Lawson LA, Fosker R. Accuracy of references in psychiatric literature: a survey of three journals. Psychiatr Bull. 1999; 23(4): 221–4. https://doi.org/10.1192/pb.23.4.221
30. Lukić IK, Lukić A, Glunčić V, Katavić V, Vučenik V, Marušić A. Citation and quotation accuracy in three anatomy journals. Clin Anat. 2004; 17(7): 534–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.10255 PMID: 15376293
31. Luo M, Li CC, Molina D, Andersen CR, Panchbhavi VK. Accuracy of citation and quotation in foot and ankle surgery journals. Foot Ankle Int. 2013; 34(7): 949–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1071100713475354 PMID: 23696189
32. Reddy MS, Srinivas S, Sabanayagam N, Balasubramanian SP. Accuracy of references in general surgical journals—an old problem revisited. Surgeon. 2008; 6(2): 71–5. PMID: 18488770
33. Lee SY, Lee JS. A survey of reference accuracy in two Asian dermatologic journals (the Journal of Dermatology and the Korean Journal of Dermatology). Int J Dermatol. 1999; 38(5): 357–60. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-4362.1999.00706.x PMID: 10369545
34. Putterman C. Quotation accuracy: fact or fiction? Isr J Med Sci. 1992; 28(7): 465–70. PMID: 1506172
35. Singh S, Chaudhary R. Accuracy of references cited in articles published in Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology: A pilot study. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2009; 75(5): 488–91. https://doi.org/10.4103/0378-6323.55392 PMID: 19736428
36. Hobma SO, Overbeke AJ. Errors in literature references in the Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde. Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde. 1992; 136(13): 637–41. PMID: 1557163
37. Pieters G, Ceysens E, De Heyn E. Formele en inhoudelijke nauwkeurigheid van referenties in het Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie. Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie. 2001; 43(5): 349–54.
38. Gupta P, Yadav M, Mohta A, Choudhury P. References in Indian pediatrics: authors need to be accurate. Indian Pediatr. 2005; 42(2): 140–5. PMID: 15767709
39. Buijze GA, Weening AA, Poolman RW, Bhandari M, Ring D. Predictors of the accuracy of quotation of references in peer-reviewed orthopaedic literature in relation to publications on the scaphoid. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2012; 94(2): 276–80. https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620X.94B2.27618 PMID: 22323700
40. Granter SR, Laga AC, Larson AR. Calciphylaxis and the Persistence of Medical Misinformation in the Era of Google. Am J Clin Pathol. 2015; 144(3): 427–31. https://doi.org/10.1309/AJCPDMWVGKW9N1CU PMID: 26276773
41. Hartree EF. Ethics for authors: a case history of acrosin. Perspect Biol Med. 1976; 20(1): 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.1976.0032 PMID: 25578675
42. Hol J, de Jongste JC, Nieuwenhuis EE. Quoting a landmark paper on the beneficial effects of probiotics. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009; 124(6): 1354–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2009.07.047 PMID: 19818483
43. Kolbitsch C, Hörmann C, Benzer A. Quotation accuracy in neuroanesthesiologic research. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 1997; 9(1): 8–10 https://doi.org/10.1097/00008506-199701000-00004 PMID: 9016433
44. Porrino JA, Tan V, Daluiski A. Misquotation of a commonly referenced hand surgery study. J Hand Surg Am. 2008; 33(1): 2.e1–2.e9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2007.10.007 PMID: 18261657
45. Puder KS, Morgan JP. Persuading by citation: An analysis of the references of fifty-three published reports of phenylpropanolamine’s clinical toxicity. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1987; 42(1): 1–9. PMID: 3595063
46. Rastegar DA, Wolfe L. Experience, expertise, or specialty? Uses and misuses of a reference. J Fam Practice. 2002; 51(2): 168.
47. Stather PW, Sidloff DA, Rhema IA, Choke E, Bown MJ, Sayers RD. A review of current reporting of abdominal aortic aneurysm mortality and prevalence in the literature. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2014; 47(3): 240–2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejvs.2013.11.007 PMID: 24368205
48. Tfelt-Hansen P. The qualitative problem of major quotation errors, as illustrated by 10 different examples in the headache literature. Headache. 2015; 55(3): 419–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.12529 PMID: 25760466
49. Clarfield AM. The case of the questionable reference. CMAJ. 1989; 140(7): 844. PMID: 2924239
50. Gavras H. Inappropriate attribution: the “lazy author syndrome”. Am J Hypertens. 2002; 15(9): 831. PMID: 12722775
51. Perrott D. Citation error. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2009; 67(6): 1356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joms.2009.01.004 PMID: 19446235
52. Rama-Maceiras P, Parente S, Kranke P. Reply to: devil in the detail: citation accuracy. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2013; 30(3): 129–31. PMID: 23318813
53. Ryan AJ. Accuracy in quotation. JAMA. 1975; 231(11): 1135.
54. Stark R. Reference error. Arch Neurol. 1983; 40(10): 658. https://doi.org/10.1001/archneur.1983.04050090094019
55. Zalcberg D, Ben-Menachem E. Devil in the detail: citation accuracy. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2013; 30: 130. PMID: 23318813
56. Gosling CM, Cameron M, Gibbons PF. Referencing and quotation accuracy in four manual therapy journals. Man Ther. 2004; 9(1): 36–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1356-689X(03)00056-0 PMID: 14723860
57. Schulmeister L. Quotation and reference accuracy of three nursing journals. J Nurs Scholarsh. 1998; 30(2): 143–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.1998.tb01269.x
58. Hinchcliff KW, Bruce NJ, Powers JD, Kipp ML. Accuracy of references and quotations in veterinary journals. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1993; 202(3): 397–400. PMID: 8440629
59. Eklund J. Proper and accurate use of references. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 1995; 39(5): 575–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-6576.1995.tb04128.x
60. Yankauer A. The accuracy of medical journal references. CBE Views. 1990; 13(2): 38–42.