Gender analysis of Journal of Perinatology authorship during COVID-19

Authors

Lauren Gadek, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
Christiane Dammann, Department of Pediatrics, Tufts Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Renate Savich, Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Christiana Mmuo-Oji, Department of Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
Leonardo Barrera, Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Patrick G. Gallagher, Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
Kerri Machut, Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2023

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine authorship gender distributions before and during COVID-19 in the Journal of Perinatology.

STUDY DESIGN: We collected data from the Journal of Perinatology website. The author gender was determined using Genderize.io or a systematic internet search. Our primary outcome was the difference between the number of published articles authored by women during the pandemic period (March 2020-May 2021, period two), compared with the preceding 15-month period (period one). We analyzed the data using chi-square tests.

RESULTS: Publications increased from period one to two by 8.9%. There were slightly more female than male first (62%) and overall (53%) authors, but fewer last authors (43%) for the combined time periods. Female authorship distribution was not different between periods.

CONCLUSIONS: Though publications increased overall, authorship gender distribution did not change significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women authors remain underrepresented overall and specifically as last author, considering the majority of neonatologists are women.

Publication Title

Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association

ISSN

1476-5543

Volume

43

Issue

4

First Page

518

Last Page

522

Recommended Citation

Gadek L, Dammann C, Savich R, Mmuo-Oji C, Barrera L, Gallagher PG, Machut K. Gender analysis of Journal of Perinatology authorship during COVID-19. J Perinatol. 2023 Apr;43(4):518-522. doi: 10.1038/s41372-022-01551-x. Epub 2022 Nov 5. PMID: 36335276; PMCID: PMC9638437.