Evaluating Editor-in-Chief Diversity in High-Impact Plastic Surgery Journals: A 20-Journal Analysis

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Plastic surgery
• Scientific publishing

Background:

• Growing concern over diversity in medical research.
• Editorial boards shape scientific discourse and require diverse perspectives.
• Focus on editors-in-chief of top 20 plastic surgery journals.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examine demographic and academic backgrounds of plastic surgery journal editors-in-chief.
• Assess diversity in leadership positions within plastic surgery publishing.

Main Methods:

• Reviewed editorial boards of top 20 plastic surgery journals by impact factor.
• Collected data on editor-in-chief demographics, academic background, and leadership roles.
• Obtained H-indices from Scopus database.

Main Results:

• 93.3% male, 6.7% female editors-in-chief.
• 66.7% White, 33.3% Asian editors-in-chief.
• Predominantly MD holders, with extensive leadership experience (professorships, chairs, society presidents).

Conclusions:

• Limited gender and racial diversity identified among editors-in-chief.
• Urgent need to address diversity issues in plastic surgery leadership.
• Promote diversity to enrich scientific perspectives in publications.