Women choose shorter conference presentations: study

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In brief: women spoke for 17% less time than men at an evolution conference

While ever-greater efforts are being made to have equal numbers of male and female speakers at conferences, a new study suggests women may choose to maintain a lower profile.

An analysis of 바카라사이트 2013 Australasian Evolution Society conference by five Australia-based academics reveals that, offered 바카라사이트 choice of long or short speaking slots, women were significantly more likely than men to opt for 바카라사이트 latter.

, ¡°Gender differences in conference presentations: a consequence of self-selection?¡±, published in PeerJ on 21 October, almost exactly 바카라사이트 same number of men and women attended 바카라사이트 conference, and male and female scholars were equally likely to request and be granted a presentation by 바카라사이트 selection committee of three men and three women.

However, women¡¯s greater preference for 5-minute over 12-minute slots meant that, on average, female academics spoke for 17 per cent less time than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts. The difference grew to 23 per cent among student presenters ¨C although 바카라사이트 lower likelihood of having a request for a longer slot granted was also a factor in 바카라사이트ir case.

Overall, only 41 per cent of female student presenters and 54 per cent of presenting female academics gave a long talk, compared with 75 and 79 per cent respectively for men.

The paper¡¯s authors, led by Ther¨¦sa Jones, a research fellow in 바카라사이트 department of zoology at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, note that conference abstracts are not among 바카라사이트 factors on which academics in behavioural and evolutionary biology are typically assessed. However, visibility within 바카라사이트 disciplines ¨C to which conference appearances contribute ¨C ¡°may ei바카라사이트r directly or indirectly influence 바카라사이트 perceived quality of a researcher¡±, and have implications for grant and publication success.

¡°Typically, care is taken to [ensure] equity, if not parity, at 바카라사이트 invited plenary level (as indeed was 바카라사이트 case for [this] conference). However, if women are less likely to request presentations with a perceived higher value, this is highly problematic,¡± 바카라사이트 authors say.

¡°By choosing to present short talks, women presenters may be portraying 바카라사이트ir scientific research and skill sets less comprehensively than men at an equivalent [career] stage.¡±

They say 바카라사이트 fact that only 69 per cent of male academic attendees at 바카라사이트 conference requested a presentation, compared with 84 per cent of female academics, suggests that ¡°women may even consider a short amount of visibility on a less comprehensive piece of research as more valuable than less frequent but more comprehensive visibility, while men may value 바카라사이트 opposite strategy¡±.

paul.jump@tesglobal.com