Geography, gender, and collaboration trends among global health authors

Abstract

Background Imbalances in global health authorship have previously been documented, but the extent of the problem has yet to be examined longitudinally across many journals. This paper investigates the gender (2002-2020) and geographic distribution (2014-2020) of authors publishing in peer-reviewed global health journals. We also examined the amount of global health research collaboration among different income groups and continents. Methods This cohort study analyzes articles published in 46 peer-reviewed global health journals. Gender-API assigned genders to 190,809 individuals who authored a combined 33,854 articles. The country affiliations of authors were categorized by continent and World Bank income groups. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess collaboration between first and last authors belonging to different World Bank income groups and continents. Findings Women made up 39.3% of global health authors, and there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of women authors between 2002 and 2020. The proportion of all global health authors who are women was highest in high income countries (45.9%) and lowest in low income countries (28.2%). Authors from middle income countries comprised of an increasing proportion of global health authors between 2014 and 2020. For articles with multiple authors, 16.0% and 24.1% have first and last authors from different income groups and continents, respectively. Conclusions While women and LMIC researchers are increasingly represented in global health publications, authorship gaps continue to persist. More research on structural determinants is necessary to elucidate how we improve authorship equity and support underrepresented global health expertise.

Ten health policy challenges for the next 10 years

“… 69–71 Publications about LMICs, and with LMIC-affiliated authors, are increasing—but progress has been slowest for low-income countries 69 and female authors remain underrepresented. 72 These inequities in publishing have echoes in other imbalances seen across global health and health policy research, such as in the financing for global health research, 73 boards and commissions focused on global health issues, 74 , 75 and representation at scientific conferences 76 and journal editorial boards. 77 , 78 …”

A Comparative Review of Postdoctoral Experiences Around the World

“…While these trends are globally observed, regional variations exist. For instance, in East Asia, there is a strong emphasis on research output and international collaboration, as evidenced in the focus of research universities in the region (Finkelstein et al, 2014;Yao et al, 2022). These regional differences reflect the diverse academic cultures and priorities across different parts of the world.…”

“…These positions are instrumental in forging the next generation of scholars, researchers, and academics. In this comprehensive review, we delve into the multifaceted nature of postdoctoral experiences across the globe, highlighting their significance, evolution, and the varying challenges and opportunities they present (Yao et al, 2022).…”

“…The central thesis of this article posits that postdoctoral experiences, while universally challenging, vary significantly around the world. These variations are influenced by factors such as funding availability, institutional support, cultural norms, and the overall state of higher education and research in different countries (Bakshi et al, 2023;Yao et al, 2022). Thus, the primary objective of this review is to compare and contrast postdoctoral experiences worldwide.…”

Vestibular migraine in low- and lower-middle-income countries: A scoping review

“…Currently, however, the vast majority of the research on VM originates from HICs or upper-middle income countries (UMICs), but not low- and lower-middle income countries (LLMICs). LLMICs, home to billions of people, are particularly underrepresented in the medical literature and face some of the world's most severe healthcare disparities ( Yao et al., 2022 ). An appraisal of the current state of VM research in LLMICs is needed to assess the existing evidence, which can inform future directions of VM research in LLMICs and identify potential areas for cross-cultural collaboration and partnership to advance the field.…”