Female Authorship of Opinion Pieces in Leading Otolaryngology Journals between 2013 and 2018
Publication type
journal article
Publication date
2020
Author(s)
Miller, A.L.
Rathi, V.K.
Gray, S.T.
Bergmark, R.W.
Language
English
Discipline(s)
Geographical area
Abstract
Although women represent an increasing proportion of the physician workforce, barriers to the professional advancement of women persist, particularly within surgical fields such as otolaryngology. Authorship of scientific opinion articles serves as an important opportunity for professional development. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to characterize the authorship patterns of scientific opinion articles by gender in leading otolaryngology journals between 2013 and 2018. Outcome measures were the number and proportion of female physician first authors and female last authors as compared with the proportion of the otolaryngology workforce. Between 2013 and 2018, female authors accounted for 24.1% of first of multiple authors, 30.4% of sole authors, and 25.3% of last authors. Women were equitably represented in comparison with the proportion of practicing female otolaryngologists (17.1% in 2017). The proportion of female first authorship increased from 20.0% in 2013 to 32.0% in 2018. Additional efforts are necessary to support the equitable advancement of women in otolaryngology. © American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2019.
Journal
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
ISSN
2573-010X
Volume
162
Issue
1
Pagination
35-37