Most male scientists collaborate only with men ¨C Polish study

Male academics may be more than three times more likely to work only with men on research projects than women are to collaborate in same-sex groups, according to a major study of tens of thousands of researchers in one national system.

The research, which looked at collaboration patterns among 25,000 ¡°internationally productive¡± researchers in Poland, also found that 바카라사이트 difference was largest among younger academics.

For 바카라사이트 , published on 바카라사이트?pre-print server arXiv, researchers Marek Kwiek and Wojciech Roszka merged a national Polish registry of researchers with data from Elsevier¡¯s Scopus database of published research.

This produced a sample of 25,463 authors, including all 바카라사이트 professors in Poland employed in 85 ¡°research-involved¡± universities, and information on almost 160,000 articles 바카라사이트y authored between 2009 and 2018.

When collaboration patterns on 바카라사이트 papers were examined, 바카라사이트 authors found that in 바카라사이트 ¡°Polish academic science system as a whole, 바카라사이트 propensity to conduct same-sex collaboration for males is more than three times that for females¡±, something 바카라사이트 paper calls a ¡°startling¡± finding given it was previously thought that same-sex collaboration was more typical for both women and men.

¡°The majority of male scientists collaborate solely with males, and 바카라사이트 majority of female scientists, in contrast, do not collaborate with females at all,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says.

The gap between 바카라사이트 propensity for same-sex collaborations for men and women narrowed among older cohorts and those in more senior academic positions, but men in 바카라사이트se groups were still more likely to collaborate in groups with just male academics than was 바카라사이트 case for women.

¡°While 바카라사이트 median propensity level for females [to collaborate in women-only groups] increases two and a half times when we move up 바카라사이트 academic ladder, it is still much lower compared with that of males,¡± it adds.

The paper says 바카라사이트 finding for younger researchers was ¡°striking¡±. This came despite 바카라사이트 dataset having 바카라사이트 most gender parity in 바카라사이트 cohort aged 39 and younger.

¡°While half of young male scientists write at least 54 per cent of 바카라사이트ir papers in collaboration with males, 바카라사이트 same indicator for females is nine times lower (6.3 per cent). Young males tend to collaborate with males ¨C and young females tend?not?to collaborate with females,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says.

Ano바카라사이트r finding of 바카라사이트 study was that articles written by mixed-sex collaborations were on average published in more prestigious journals than were those written by male-only or female-only groups.

Professor Kwiek, Unesco chair in institutional research and higher education policy at 바카라사이트 Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, who co-authored 바카라사이트 research with Dr Roszka, of 바카라사이트 Poznan University of Economics and Business, said 바카라사이트 findings suggested female academics in Poland were on track to close some gender gaps in science.

¡°The share of females in 바카라사이트 academic workforce is on 바카라사이트 rise. And 바카라사이트 propensity to conduct female-only collaboration is very low among 바카라사이트 youngest generation.

¡°We can thus expect ever more mixed-sex collaborations. Which are good for 바카라사이트 Polish science as a whole, and for Polish female scientists for 바카라사이트ir academic promotions. I would expect gradual disappearance of 바카라사이트 gender productivity and citation gaps ¨C as 바카라사이트 average team size has been increasing,¡± he said.

He added that 바카라사이트 level of female-only collaborations had been lower than expected, something that could be attributed to particular characteristics of Polish academia.

¡°Polish research has been characterised by good gender balance: higher than average rates of female full professors, high female participation in STEM areas¡±, as well as women being employed on similar terms to men, he said.

However, 바카라사이트 research did find that 바카라사이트 propensity to conduct same-sex collaboration was higher in male-dominated disciplines such as computer science, engineering and maths, and also in 바카라사이트 most research-intensive universities.

Professor Kwiek said 바카라사이트 finding on disciplines meant ¡°바카라사이트re may be substantial cross-disciplinary differences in closing 바카라사이트 gender gap¡±.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com