MISREPRESENTATION OF PUBLICATIONS BY APPLICANTS FOR RADIOLOGY FELLOWSHIPS - IS IT A PROBLEM

OBJECTIVE. We performed this study to determine whether applicants to the body and breast/body imaging fellowship programs at our institutio n misrepresented their publications in their applications or curricula vitae, as has been reported recently regarding applicants for gas tro enterology fellowships. We also wanted to alert program directors to t his issue. MATERIALS AND METHODS. For each applicant in 1992-1995, eve ry article cited on an application form or curriculum vitae as publish ed or in press was cross-referenced with computer databases or the act ual journals. RESULTS. Of 201 applicants, 87 (43%) listed at least one article citation (total citations, 261; mean number of citations, 3.0 ; maximum number of citations, 20). Of 261 citations, 39 (15%) could n ot be verified. Seven articles (listed by six applicants) did not appe ar in print 16-30 months after being listed as in press; six citations (by six applicants) put the applicant's name higher on the authorship list than was actually true; two articles (by two applicants) were no t in the location cited or elsewhere; and 24 articles (by 14 applicant s) were listed as appearing in journals that could not be found. The f irst three categories were judged as misrepresentations of publication s; the fourth category was judged indeterminate for misrepresentation. CONCLUSION. A minimum of 16% (14/87) of applicants to the body and br east/body imaging fellowship programs at our institution who cited pub lications, or 7% of all 201 applicants in the time studied, appear to have misrepresented their publication record. Program directors should be aware of the possible means for prevention of this problem.