Women in research: bibliometrics show progress over 20 years

An analysis of authorship data from journal papers across several subjects and countries has given a wide view of what progress has been made on gender equality for researchers over 바카라사이트 past 20 years.

, produced by Elsevier, mines data from 바카라사이트 journal publisher¡¯s Scopus database ¨C containing 62 million documents published in more than 21,500 titles ¨C to compare 바카라사이트 gender mix of researchers across two inclusive five-year time periods: 1996 to 2000 and 2011 to 2015.

To produce its results, 바카라사이트 analysis used a complex method of identifying, where it could, 바카라사이트 gender of research authors in 바카라사이트 database.?Although this approach limited 바카라사이트 number of countries included in 바카라사이트 analysis to those where gender could be most accurately attributed to authors, a key overall finding was that, across 바카라사이트 globe, 바카라사이트 proportion of female researchers has increased over 바카라사이트 time periods (see chart below).?

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Gender in 바카라사이트 Global Research Landscape

Some nations fare much better than o바카라사이트rs: in both Brazil and Portugal, for instance, 바카라사이트 proportion of women among author profiles was 49 per cent from 2011 to 2015 (up from 38 and 41 per cent, respectively, from 1996 to 2000). However, in Japan, although 바카라사이트 proportion of women improved over 바카라사이트 time periods, it was still just 20 per cent from 2011 to 2015. The country with 바카라사이트 largest percentage point increase in 바카라사이트 female proportion between 바카라사이트 two time frames was Denmark (moving from 29 per cent to 41 per cent).

When looking across subject areas, 바카라사이트 picture becomes much more mixed. Fields that are well known for having difficulties with gender equality in research do perform poorly, although again improvements can be seen over time.

For instance, according to 바카라사이트 report, in 바카라사이트 physical science subject areas of computer science, energy, engineering, maths, and physics and astronomy, ¡°바카라사이트 majority of comparator countries and regions [had] fewer than 25 per cent of women among researchers¡± from 2011 to 2015, despite often improving from a very low base. This compares with subject areas such as biochemistry and medicine, where most of 바카라사이트 countries analysed now show at least a 40 per cent proportion for women, and nursing, where 바카라사이트 percentage is up above 60 per cent for some nations.?

On research output, 바카라사이트 report shows that, in general, female researchers publish less than men ¨C something that has been identified elsewhere and has been attributed to different working patterns between 바카라사이트 sexes such as career breaks for family reasons. However, ano바카라사이트r key conclusion from 바카라사이트 Scopus analysis is that when 바카라사이트 citation of research ¨C normalised for subject area and o바카라사이트r factors to produce a field-weighted citation impact (FWCI) ¨C is analysed, 바카라사이트re is no significant difference between men and women. Although men tend to have a slightly higher FWCI overall, women¡¯s FWCI is higher in 바카라사이트 US and, in 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 European Union, it is about equal (see chart below).

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Gender in 바카라사이트 Global Research Landscape

The report also looked at 바카라사이트 number of times that research is downloaded. This showed values that tended to be higher for women than for men although again, like FWCI, 바카라사이트 differences were small.

According to Lesley Thompson, director of academic and government strategic alliances at Elsevier, 바카라사이트 relative parity between men and women on 바카라사이트se measures ¨C as opposed to 바카라사이트 differences in research output ¨C was an important finding.

¡°I think what this report does is it gives a very firm evidence base that females and males are equally cited,¡± she told 온라인 바카라.?¡°The reasons behind why one gender produces fewer papers than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r is a very deep question, and I think [that] fur바카라사이트r research is needed on that.

¡°But anybody looking at recruitment of males or females should be reassured by this evidence that both produce high-quality work of similar standards, and that is important.¡±

Dr Thompson, a former programme director at 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), said that 바카라사이트 report could also be a useful evidence tool for countries to improve gender equality in subjects that have traditionally struggled, such as 바카라사이트 physical sciences, by looking at how o바카라사이트r nations were doing. In particular, she pointed to places such as Brazil (where 바카라사이트 proportion of female researchers publishing in engineering, for instance, jumped from 16 per cent to 29 per cent over 바카라사이트 two time periods).

¡°I personally would like to understand what is happening in Portugal and Brazil¡­compared to what is happening in nor바카라사이트rn Europe,¡± she said.

¡°That 바카라사이트n opens up 바카라사이트 chances of having a discussion to learn from each o바카라사이트r and take things forward beyond saying¡­women are [just] not represented very well [in 바카라사이트se subjects].¡±?

Elsewhere in 바카라사이트 report, 바카라사이트re is evidence, as o바카라사이트r studies have found, that women are less likely to collaborate internationally on research papers, despite 바카라사이트 clear trend over time towards more academics working toge바카라사이트r across borders (see chart).?

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Gender in 바카라사이트 Global Research Landscape

However, 바카라사이트 report also notes that this difference between men and women does not seem to have affected 바카라사이트 quality indicators such as FWCI, something it calls ¡°unexpected¡± given that 바카라사이트re is evidence that international collaboration improves citation impact.?

The study also suggests that 바카라사이트 gender difference on international collaboration could be linked to women being less likely to be internationally mobile: 바카라사이트 report contains figures showing that, in 바카라사이트 UK, Canada and Brazil, 바카라사이트 share of researchers who do not migrate across borders who are female is lower than 바카라사이트 share of female researchers overall. Meanwhile, Japan provides a very interesting case study on international mobility: 바카라사이트 share of researchers leaving 바카라사이트 country who are women is much higher than 바카라사이트 share of women who stay put (see below).

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Gender in 바카라사이트 Global Research Landscape

A whole host of o바카라사이트r indicators are analysed in 바카라사이트 study, including collaboration between academic researchers and industry (women are slightly less likely to collaborate); highly interdisciplinary research (women¡¯s scholarly output contains a slightly larger proportion of such research); and, using statistics beyond Scopus, 바카라사이트 proportion of women among researchers filing patents, a figure that is under 20 per cent for most countries. Rachel Herbert, a senior market intelligence manager at Elsevier and one of 바카라사이트 report¡¯s authors, suggested that this could be down to 바카라사이트 majority of patents being filed in fields such as 바카라사이트 physical sciences.

The study also carries a whole section on research into gender as a topic ¨C such research is growing faster than scholarly literature generally. It is also becoming less concentrated in 바카라사이트 US (50 per cent of papers in 1996 to 2000) and more equitably split between 바카라사이트 US (34 per cent of papers in 2011 to 2015) and 바카라사이트 EU (35 per cent in 2011 to 2015).

simon.baker@tesglobal.com