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Is there gender bias in JAMA's peer review process?
J R Gilbert1, E S Williams, G D Lundberg
1Department of Public Policy, Stanford University, Palo Alto.
JAMA
|July 13, 1994
Summary
Gender differences were observed in JAMA
Area of Science:
- Medical Publishing
- Scientific Peer Review
Background:
- The gender of participants in the peer review process may influence manuscript handling and outcomes.
- Understanding potential gender-based disparities is crucial for maintaining fairness in academic publishing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender-associated differences in peer review and manuscript processing at JAMA in 1991.
- To determine if author or editor gender impacts manuscript acceptance rates.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study analyzing 1851 research articles submitted to JAMA in 1991.
- Data included information on editors, reviewers, and authors, with a focus on gender.
- Statistical analysis was used to identify significant gender-based patterns.
Main Results:
- Female editors more frequently handled manuscripts from female corresponding authors.
- Male reviewers took longer to return manuscripts compared to female reviewers.
- Despite observed gender differences in handling and reviewer characteristics, manuscript acceptance rates were not significantly affected by author or editor gender.
Conclusions:
- While gender differences exist in editor and reviewer behaviors, they did not appear to influence the final publication decision.
- The peer review process at JAMA in 1991 demonstrated gender variations without impacting acceptance rates.
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