Gender gap in science is narrowing
The gender gap among the most cited scientists worldwide is narrowing, according to a new study. However, there is still a clear gap between the visibility of female and male researchers, reports a team led by John Ioannidis from Stanford University in the journal "PLOS Biology".
Data from 5.8 million male and female authors from various scientific disciplines were taken into account. Around 3.8 million were men and around 2 million women. The analysis showed that among those who began publishing studies before 1992, men published almost four times as often as women. For those who started scientific writing after 2011, the ratio had improved significantly and stood at 1 to 1.36.
However, the gap is far greater among the most frequently cited study authors - i.e. those with the greatest scientific influence: on average, men were represented 3.21 times more than women - 6.41 times more in the older groups and still 2.28 times more in the youngest group, who published something for the first time after 2011. This means that there are more than two male authors for every female author frequently cited by other researchers - with major differences from country to country. In Japan, for example, there are 10 times more men than women in even the youngest group of frequently cited researchers, according to the data.
Ioannidis said the study documents a significant reduction in inequalities between men and women in top-level research. "But there is considerable room for further improvement in most scientific fields."
Despite the notable decrease in the gender gap in science, particular in recent years, research conducted by Ioannidis and his team revealed that women are still underrepresented among the most frequently cited researchers, with men being represented 2.28 times more frequently than women in the youngest group. Encouragingly, however, the participation of women in science research is a growing area of focus and continuing research in this field is essential to eliminate ongoing disparities.
Source: www.dpa.com
