Accuracy of references in indexed journals of Nepal.

This study was done to observe the accuracy of references in articles published in indexed journals of Nepal. There were 30 references randomly selected from three indexed journals of Nepal published between January 2007 and December 2008. Nepal Medical College Journal (NMCJ), Journal of Nepal Medical Association (JNMA) and Kathmandu University Medical Journal (KUMJ) were selected as they are only indexed journals of Nepal. References were examined in details by dividing them into six components and they were compared with the original. References not cited from indexed journals were excluded. Statistical analysis was done by using frequency and percentage. Results shows that 11.6% references in NMCJ, 11.1% references in JNMA and 23.3% references in KUMJ were inaccurate. Most common errors in all three journals include author's name and journal name. Errors in citing the references are also found in the indexed journals of Nepal, KUMJ citing the highest percentage of errors. The majority of errors are avoidable. So, the authors, editors and reviewers have to check for any errors seriously before publication in the journal.