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Citation, quotation errors common in pediatric orthopedic literature
Davids JR. J Bone Joint Surg Am. doi:10.2106/JBJS/.I.00063.
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Despite recent technological advances, such as online databases, accessible search engines and bibliographic software, citation and quotation errors litter the pediatric orthopedic literature, according to recent research.
For their study, Jon R. Davids, MD, Shriners Hospital for Children, Greenville, SC, and colleagues randomly selected 200 references from 20 articles in four peer-reviewed journal articles. They obtained full-text copies of all original references.
Across all of the journals, the total citation error rate was 26% (95 CI, 16.5%–37.3%). Per journal, the median citation error rate was 27% (range, 10%–38%). Although common, citation errors were rarely significant; 196 of 200 references were retrieved easily from PubMed, the authors wrote.
The total quotation error rate was 38% (95% CI, 30.1%–47%). Per journal, the median quotation error rate was 38% (range, 28%–46%).
To find citation errors, one investigator assessed how easy it was to retrieve the reference from PubMed. The investigators defined a citation error as incorrect bibliographic information.
To establish quotation accuracy, two researchers reviewed each article and all references, comparing the claims made for the references in the article with the data and opinions in the reference. They considered any inconsistency between the authors’ claims and the actual data or conclusions in the cited reference as a quotation error.