PURPOSE: To investigate the frequency of citation and quotation errors in the ophthalmic literature. DESIGN: Analysis of 200 references from 100 papers published in 10 ophthalmic journals. METHODS: A sample of 20 references was randomly selected from each of the 10 journals and each reference was checked for accuracy. Quotations were categorized as totally, partially, or not accurate. RESULTS: There were 35 citation errors in 32 references, only four of which were errors in PubMed. Thirty quotations of references were not accurate; 20 were partially accurate. CONCLUSIONS: Citation and quotation errors are relatively common within the ophthalmic literature. This may be improved through technical editing.
