Statistical Errors in Papers in the two Korean Dermatology Journals

BACKGROUND: Statistical errors have been noted in a large percentage of articles appearing in medical journals. Their incidence in the Annals of Dermatology and the Korean Journal of Dermatology, however, has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of statistical methods in the Annals of Dermatology and the Korean Journal of Dermatology. METHOD: Original papers using the t test in the Annals of Dermatology(AD) and in the Korean Journal of Dermatology(KJD) from January 1990 to July 1994 were analyzed for correctness of statistical methods. RESULTS: Of the 376 original papers in the period considered, 78(20.7%) presented t tests and 43(55.1%) of these also contained some errors. Of the 9 papers from the Annals of Dermatology, 4(44.4%) included at least one error. Of the 69 papers from the Korean Journal of Dermatology, 39(56.5%) included at least one error. CONCLUSION: Misuse of statistical methodology may not be uncommon in the two Korean Dermatology journals, and it would be prudent to give more attention to statistical methodology.

Statitical Techniques Reported in Korean Dermatology Journals During 1990-1994

BACKGROUND: Effective evaluation of an article's scientific merit requires familiarity with the methodology described, especially when quantitative techniques, such as statistical procedures, are invoked to clarify research findings or to summarize data. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency with which various statistical concepts were reported in journals important to dermatology. From these results, dermatologists can identify the major statistical skills needed to critically evaluate their literature. METHODS: All 376 original articles of the Korean Journal of Dermatology(KJD) and the Annals of Dermatology(KAD) during 1990-1994 were chosen for review. Each article was re-viewed to determine the statistical content. RESULTS: The two most commonly used statistical techniques in the two journals were mean and standard deviation. The t-test was the next most frequently used statistical technique in the reviewed journals, followed by non-parametric, chi-square test, orphan p, ANOVA, and correlation/regression. CONCLUSION: These results indicate the need for wider education about the use of descriptive and basic comparative statistics. It is impossible to evaluate the dermatological literature critically without these skills.

A Survey of Quotation Accuracy in Two Korean Dermatologyical Journals

BACKGROUND: The reference list is an important part of a scientific papers. To be useful it must be accurate OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate quotation accuracy in the Korean Journal of Dermatology and the Annals of Dermatology. METHODS: We randomly selected 35 references from Korean Journal of Dermatology and 35 references from Annals of Dermatology and checked them against the original articles. RESULTS: The overall rate of quotation error was 32.9%, respectively 40% in the Annals of Dermatology and 25.7% in the Korean Journal of Dermatology. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the rate of quotation errors is unacceptably high in the Korean Journal of Dermatology and the Annals of Dermatology, which significantly diminishes the value of the information of its source.

A Survey of Accuracy of Reference Citations in Two Korean Dermatologyical Journals

BACKGROUND: The reference list is an important part of a scientific article. To be useful it must be accurate. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of reference citations in the Korean Journal of Dermatology and the Annals of Dermatology. METHODS: We randomly selected 200 references (100 references from Korean language journals and 100 references from foreign language journals) from the Korean Journal of Dermatology and 100 references from the Annals of Dermatology and checked them against the .original articles. RESULTS: The overall rate of citation error was 32%, and errors in the title and author names of the citation were common, each occurring in about two fifths of the citation errors. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the rate of citation errors is unacceptably high in the Korean Journal of Dermatology and the Annals of Dermatology, which significantly diminishes the value of the reference list.