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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
05:02
Comparing Bibliometric Analysis Using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Databases
Published on: October 24, 2019
Female Authorship in "Women in STEM" fields: A bibliometric Analysis
Morgan E Swanson1, Andrea L Liebl1
1Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.
Integrative and Comparative Biology
|June 17, 2026
Summary
Female authorship on "Women in STEM" research has significantly increased, with women becoming more prominent in studying gender disparities. This trend highlights growing female leadership in addressing challenges within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Science
- Gender Studies
- Bibliometrics
Background:
- Women in STEM face persistent challenges including pay gaps, workplace hostility, and domestic role imbalances.
- Research on these disparities is growing, but author demographics are crucial for contextualizing findings.
- Male allyship is vital for advancing gender equity in STEM.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the proportion of female authors publishing on "Women in STEM" topics.
- To analyze trends in female authorship (total, first, and last) between 2000 and 2024.
- To assess the increasing centrality of female researchers in studying gender disparities in STEM.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale bibliometric analysis of 7,240 manuscripts.
- Searches used nine terms related to gender issues in STEM (e.g., gender parity, pay gaps, motherhood).
- Literature published between 2000 and 2024 was examined.
Main Results:
- The proportion of female authors across all positions, including first and last authorship, increased from 2000 to 2024.
- Female authors were overrepresented in "Women in STEM" literature during the later study period.
- This indicates a growing female presence in researching STEM gender disparities.
Conclusions:
- Female authorship on "Women in STEM" literature has demonstrably increased.
- Female researchers are increasingly leading the study of gender disparities in STEM.
- While female perspectives are vital, male inclusion is also essential for workplace buy-in and equitable labor distribution.
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