Gender and geographic representation in editorial boards of allergy and immunology journals

Editorial boards shape academic publishing, yet disparities in gender and geographic representation persist across disciplines. To date, these disparities have not been comprehensively investigated in Allergy and Immunology journals.

To examine gender and geographic representation among editorial board members of Allergy and Immunology journals, highlighting disparities and identifying areas for improvement.

Allergy and Immunology journals were identified using the Clarivate Journal Citation Reports database. Editorial board member data, including names, roles, and locations, were collected from journal websites. Predicted gender was determined using the genderize.io tool. Pearson correlations assessed relationships between journal metrics and editorial board characteristics.

A total of 36 journals comprising 1,546 editorial board members were analyzed. Women accounted for 515/1,546 (33.3%) of all editorial board members and were underrepresented in leadership roles. Specifically, only 11/47 (23.4%) of editors-in-chief and 90/244 (36.9%) of deputy/associate editors were women. Geographically, 1,318/1,546 (85.3%) of editorial board members were based in developed countries, with the United States contributing the highest proportion (348/1,546, 22.5%). Women editors constituted 423/1,318 (32.1%) of board members in developed countries and 92/228 (40.4%) in developing countries. Representation of non-binary and transgender identities could not be reliably determined using the available data.

Gender and geographic disparities are prevalent in Allergy and Immunology journal editorial boards, with significant underrepresentation of women, particularly in leadership roles, and a concentration of editors in developed countries. Addressing these disparities is essential to fostering inclusivity and equity in academic publishing.