The persistent publication glass ceiling: an analysis of gender authorship trends in ANZ Journal of Surgery

• Published in: ANZ journal of surgery 2023-01, Vol.93 (1-2), p.98-102
• Main Authors: Sakowska, Magda M., Toffoletti, Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: academic advancement; academic surgery; Australia; Authorship; Bibliometrics; Female; Gender; gender equity; Humans; Leadership; Male; Publishing; Scholarly publishing; Surgery; Trends; women in surgery
• ISSN: 1445-1433; 1445-2197
• DOI: 10.1111/ans.17822

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. Numbers of women authors (first, last, editorial, solo) remain low in ANZJS. Women make up a fifth of first authors, although the percentage of women as first authors has increased over the analysed twenty‐year period. 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 very small minority.