Gender- and discipline-specific bibliometric analysis of elite biomedical scientists: how is pharmacology performing?

In two recent studies ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38652280/ ; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38864907/ ) we bibliometrically analyzed Nobel laureates and top pharmacologists in Germany and found massive underrepresentation of women. In this follow-up study, using www.research.com as a source, gender relations in elite biomedical research were analyzed at a global level. A total of 9791 researchers from 29 countries from the main category of biology and biochemistry were analyzed. The pooled global data set results in a proportion of 14.9% women among the elite researchers; in the individual countries, it ranged from 31.2% (Italy) to 0% (Egypt, Iran, Nigeria; however, only very small sample sizes here). Pharmacology is characterized by lower bibliometric indices than biology and biochemistry; i.e., pharmacologists have a less prominent international perception in science than other fields. Pharmacologists must generate more output to achieve a similar status to other disciplines. The analysis using common bibliometric parameters and the newly defined h/P-Index revealed that women in biology and biochemistry globally have a significantly higher h/P-Index than men-they are characterized by a more consistent scientific quality. Women are "doing well" in bibliometric analyses, achieving a good position in science measured by bibliometric parameters, despite the strong underrepresentation in elite science. In conclusion, caution must be exerted when comparing disciplines and countries bibliometrically because they have different cultures, and women are differentially represented in elite research in various countries.