The persistent publication glass ceiling: an analysis of gender authorship trends in ANZ Journal of Surgery
Publication type
journal article
Publication date
2023
Author(s)
Sakowska, M.M.
Toffoletti, K.
Language
English
View point(s)
Institutional
Discipline(s)
Geographical area
Abstract
Background: women historically have been underrepresented in the field of academic publishing. This study aims to analyse ANZJS gender authorship trends and compare this to the proportion of women in surgery in Australia/NZ using RACS demographic data to provide parity context. Methods: This is a bibliographic gender analysis of ANZJS publications from 2002 to 2021; articles were analysed using a web-based application classifying gender from names. Results: There were 7265 articles analysed. Gender was predicted for 87% (6303/7265) first-, 89% (5847/6439) last- and 98% (323/329) editorial first-authors. There were 1269/6303 (20%) women first-authors, this increased from 14% to 27% (p = 0.001) over time. Eleven percent (654/5847) of last-authors were women, this proportion remained unchanged (p = 0.09). Eleven (3%) editorials were first-authored by women, with 3/329 (1%) as solo-author. Conclusion: Numbers of women authors remain low in ANZJS, although the percentage of women first-authors has increased over time. However, if being last-author serves as a measure of senior academic supervision, and, editorial authorship shows leadership in one's field, women authors in these positions, in ANZJS, represent a small minority. © 2022 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
Journal
ANZ Journal of Surgery
ISSN
1445-1433
Volume
93
Issue
1-2
Pagination
98-102