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Citations show gender bias — and the reasons are surprising

Gender bias in paper citations is less common among younger scientists, but it still plays a part in making women’s research less visible.
  1. Anil Oza
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An analysis of more than two million papers in the life sciences shows a strong gender bias in citations: papers with female lead authors get fewer citations than do those led by male authors in subsequent male-led papers1. This pattern holds true in many subfields of the life sciences, including those with relatively equitable gender representation.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03474-9

Editor’s note: this article’s use of the terms ‘male’ and ‘female’ reflects how people are described in the featured paper.

References

  1. Zhou, S., Chai, S. & Freeman, R. B. Res. Policy 53, 104895 (2024).

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