Gender differences in publication authorship during covid-19: A bibliometric analysis of high-impact cardiology journals

Ersilia M. Defilippis, Lauren Sinnenberg, Nadim Mahmud, Malissa J. Wood, Sharonne N. Hayes, Erin D. Michos, Nosheen Reza

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in authorship of manuscripts in select high-impact cardiology journals during the early coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS AND RESULTS: All manuscripts published between March 1, 2019 to June 1, 2019 and March 1, 2020 to June 1, 2020 in 4 high-impact cardiology journals (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Circulation, JAMA Cardiology, and European Heart Journal) were identified using bibliometric data. Authors’ genders were determined by matching first name with predicted gender using a validated multinational database (Genderize.io) and manual adjudication. Proportions of women and men first, co-first, senior, and co-senior authors, manuscript types, and whether the manuscript was COVID-19 related were recorded. In 2019, women were first authors of 176 (22.3%) manuscripts and senior authors of 99 (15.0%) manuscripts. In 2020, women first authored 230 (27.4%) manuscripts and senior authored 138 (19.3%) manuscripts. Proportions of woman first and senior authors were significantly higher in 2020 compared with 2019. Women were more likely to be first authors if the manuscript’s senior author was a woman (33.8% for woman first/woman senior versus 23.4% for woman first/man senior; P<0.001). Women were less likely to be first authors of COVID-19-related original research manuscripts (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Representation of women as key authors of manuscripts published in major cardiovascular journals increased during the early COVID-19 pandemic compared with similar months in 2019. However, women were significantly less likely to be first authors of COVID-19-related original research manuscripts. Future investigation into the gender-disparate impacts of COVID-19 on academic careers is critical.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere019005
Pages (from-to)1-6
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of the American Heart Association
Volume10
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Keywords

  • Academic cardiology
  • Coronavirus disease 2019
  • Pandemic
  • Productivity
  • Publication
  • Women

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Gender differences in publication authorship during covid-19: A bibliometric analysis of high-impact cardiology journals'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this