Abstract The misuse of literature sources in scientific manuscripts and published articles was examined in a case study that looked at the occurrence of incorrect citations of a book review (misused source) of a reference work on nutrient requirements of fish and shrimp (legitimate source). The Dimensions linked research database ( https://app.dimensions.ai ) was used as the source of information about citations and where they occurred. In an initial survey, citations of the book review in published papers were tracked over time (2014–2025), with a total of 350 + citations being listed in the database. A near exponential pattern of increase seemed to reflect the initial creation of a myth, followed by increased citations based on the belief that the book review was a reference work that could be used as a legitimate source. Further investigation revealed that many of the journals implicated in publishing the articles with incorrect citations were regional or parochial in nature and that several of the publishers were of dubious character, but some of the papers with source misuse could be traced to the major publishing houses that have extensive portfolios of scientific journals. The authors that had incorrectly cited the book review included both inexperienced, early-career scientists and academics who had considerable experience of research and publication. The perspective closes with suggestions about mitigation measures, such as pre-submission vetting and control of manuscripts, and increased rigor and vigilance in the quality control of submitted manuscripts prior to peer-review, which could be applied during early stages of manuscript evaluation to reduce the number of cases of misuse of literature sources appearing in published scientific papers.
Malcolm Jobling (2026) studied this question.