Examining gender and ethnic disparities in scientific authorship to promote a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion at a university school of public health

Abstract

In public health research, diverse perspectives are vital to identify biases that homogenous teams might miss. Since publication metrics influence career progression, we investigated publication rate disparities within a School of Public Health. We analysed 18 322 peer-reviewed publications by 513 affiliated researchers between 2014 and 2023 using multivariable regression models and network analysis to assess the impact of gender, ethnicity, job level and centrality in the School's research network on publication rates. We found a persistent gender gap in publication rates across job levels and ethnicities, with men publishing more than women (incidence rate ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-1.46). This disparity was present from early career levels and amplified in senior roles, where men were over-represented (71.2% of men at Professor level). Unadjusted analyses indicated higher publication rates for white researchers (median of one publication more per person per year). The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased publication rates for both genders, but the gender gap persisted, with men publishing 1.27 (95% CI: 1.10-1.46) times more than women in 2020/2021. This study underscores the need to identify and address root causes of these disparities to foster an inclusive research environment where diverse contributions are recognized and valued.