‘Lazy’ authors? One in six scientific papers mischaracterize work they cite

The problem can seem intractable: Commentaries identifying inaccuracies go back to at least 1985, yet remedies have proved elusive. Previous research into the prevalence of flawed citations has typically focused on a single discipline and has yielded a wide range of estimates, some as high as 40%. Now, a new study finds that approximately one in six papers across the natural and life sciences mischaracterize the findings in a paper they cite—and offers ways to improve.