Gender Differences in Article Citations by Authors from American Institutions in Major Radiology Journals

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Bibliometrics
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Gender disparities in academic publishing persist across various fields.
• Understanding citation patterns is crucial for evaluating research impact and academic progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender-based differences in article citation rates among first and last authors in radiology research.
• To analyze trends in gender authorship and citation impact over three decades.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative analysis of articles published in four major radiology journals between 1984 and 2014.
• Data collected included author gender, citation counts, co-authorship, and article length.
• Statistical analysis employed chi-square tests and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Female first authorship increased significantly from 13.0% in 1984 to 31.5% in 2014.
• Papers with female first authors received fewer citations compared to those with male first authors (OR 0.9972, p=0.021).
• The citation gap between male and female first authors narrowed over time, with no significant difference observed for last authors.

Conclusions:

• Primary female authorship in radiology is associated with lower citation counts than male authorship.
• Despite increasing female representation, a citation gap persists, though it is diminishing.
• No significant citation difference was found for last authors based on gender.