The gender gap in academic research

The number of women as students and graduates at bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels has grown considerably in recent decades. In some regions and disciplines, women outnumber men in university enrolment and graduation. However, women in research are still under-represented at each successive rung of the career ladder from post-doctoral researcher to full professor or director of research. In the EU, women hold about 26% of full professorships, and 33% of research positions, despite an almost gender balance at the doctoral level (48%). In India, women account for about 42% of junior faculty, but also only about 26% of professor and senior faculty positions. Women tend to have shorter careers or remain in junior positions and are often passed over for promotion, suggesting that they have less opportunity to advance in their fields. Although the magnitude of this gender gap varies significantly across areas of research, globally, women make up around 36% of senior academic positions (as of 2022). This collection invites research that examines the nature and reasons for this gap in all fields of research. 

Factors typically contributing to the gender gap in academic research environments include: publications, funding, mobility, mentorship, collaborators and citations. Papers examining these issues are welcome, as well as those investigating the impact of gender diversity on research outputs. In addition, the collection is open to papers about structural and systemic issues, including how to measure, monitor and reduce the gender disparities. Research is welcomed on a range of topics, including but not restricted to:

• Analysis of the publishing and citation eco-system and how this affects the gender gap
• Gender effects in research funding
• Unconscious (and conscious) bias in research environments
• The extent of sex/gender-related discrimination and harassment/violence in research workplaces
• Issues of affirmative action and other policies implemented to reduce gender inequality - evaluations of such policies; challenges to actualize them
• Importance of gender equality for innovation and research application, including studies examining the effect of gender diversity on research outcomes
• Integration of the gender dimension in research and teaching content
• Effect of gender on the transition from graduate school to research careers
• Broader factors, including family responsibilities, career absence, and stereotypes that influence research careers
• How imposter-syndrome, job satisfaction, work-life balance impact research staff and faculty
• Intersectional approaches, such as socio-economic factors and race, which alongside gender issues, affect opportunities in research .

Perspectives are welcomed from a range of disciplines including sociology, gender studies, anthropology, political science and education studies.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 5 - Gender Equality.

Abstracts of a maximum of 1,000 words (including references) are welcomed by the Guest Editors by October 31, 2024. Submissions should be sent to liuyingxin@cuhk.edu.cn or lilanchen.slics@osaka-u.ac.jp, and each abstract must be accompanied by a brief author bio of up to 50 words per contributing author.

The Collection's Guest Editors will notify potential authors of abstract decisions by late November 2024. Authors of accepted abstracts will then be invited to submit full papers by the late-March 2025 deadline. Please note that acceptance of an abstract does not guarantee final acceptance of the full paper submission. All submitted papers will undergo standard quality check by the journal's internal editorial team and then a rigorous double-blind peer review process before being considered for final acceptance.