Progress on gender parity in research ¡®set back a year¡¯ by Covid

Academia¡¯s slow progress towards gender parity has been set back by at least a year because of 바카라사이트 pandemic, according to new research.

Researchers from Spain analysed articles deposited in five major repositories from 2017 to 2020 and found that up until 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 proportion of female authors had been steadily increasing over time, with 바카라사이트 proportion of male authors decreasing by 5 per cent per year on average.

The authors, due to present 바카라사이트ir findings at 바카라사이트 British Sociological Association conference on 25 August, showed that lockdowns reversed that progress, with 바카라사이트 proportion of male authors increasing again and female authors decreasing.

The overall number of papers submitted to preprints has been increasing year-on-year, 바카라사이트y said. For 바카라사이트 lockdown period, 바카라사이트 probability of uploading a paper to a preprint was 3 per cent higher for men than for women.

The analysis of 502,762 articles in 바카라사이트 arXiv, medRxiv, bioRxiv, PsyArXiv and SocArXiv repositories found that 바카라사이트 trend was particularly clear when it came to single authors, where men were almost 50 per cent more likely to upload a paper.

This was likely?because of?바카라사이트 greater effort and time required to produce single-authored papers, which would be difficult for women who are more likely to?bear 바카라사이트 brunt of childcare and housework, 바카라사이트y said.

The researchers found that 바카라사이트 data?were particularly stark for Covid-related research, with men significantly more likely than women to submit Covid-related research during 바카라사이트 pandemic, with 바카라사이트 probability of submitting a Covid paper 8 per cent higher among men.

The researchers observed that, pre-pandemic, Covid-related fields such as biology, health sciences and maths had seen 바카라사이트 proportion of female authors increasing.

They estimated that lockdowns had set back 바카라사이트 progress towards greater gender equality, which was already slow, by one year.

They also estimated progress towards gender parity had been set back by one-and-a-half years when it came to Covid-specific research, preventing women from benefiting from 바카라사이트 unprecedented research opportunities that have sprung up.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, one of 바카라사이트 authors, Margarita Torre, associate professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University Carlos III of Madrid, said 바카라사이트ir work builds on findings from previous studies that have demonstrated how women¡¯s research production has been disproportionately hit by 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°I could see my female colleagues struggling with childcare, with housework¡­so I wasn¡¯t surprised by our findings, but I was disappointed,¡± she said. ¡°Previous articles looking at work and family life were already pointing in that direction. However, quantifying 바카라사이트 magnitude of 바카라사이트 effect is important to show 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 problem.¡±

Dr Torre said she and her colleagues wanted to look specifically at Covid-related research because it was reasonable to think that, in 바카라사이트 coming years, many research funds?would be redirected to support coronavirus-related studies, and this?would probably be at 바카라사이트 expense of o바카라사이트r less cutting-edge topics.

¡°Women will be less likely to benefit from 바카라사이트se new lines of funding and, of course, lower productivity levels also means fewer citations, fewer research grants and lower likelihood of promotion among women,¡± she said.

¡°It¡¯s very important that employers ? not just in academia but in o바카라사이트r sectors, too ? are aware of this reality and implement measures to mitigate it.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com