Reflecting on a Decade of Women's Publications in Four Top Political Science Journals

Abstract

Publication in scholarly journals is a key to scholarly success. However, previous studies have shown that across many disciplines, including political science, women publish significantly less than men and prefer to use qualitative methodology. In this article, we explore the accuracy of these trends by examining a decade's worth (2000-09) of women's publications in four top political science journals (the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, and PS: Political Science and Politics). Using a systematic content analysis, we determine the gender ratio of the authors, funding sources, methods, and the ratio of qualitative and quantitative studies. We find that while women publish less than men in each of these venues, their publication rates resemble their representation in the field.E qual representation of women in the workplace is an issue that spans all disciplines and all venues. In academia, gender equality is important to the establishment of a diverse and well-balanced approach to research and intellectual exploration. Research demonstrates that women are leaving the political science workplace at a rate much higher than men (American Political Science Association [APSA] 2005). Furthermore, women are leaving the workplace mid-career at a rate two or three times that of men, sometimes called the "leaking pipeline" problem (APSA 2005).In the social sciences and many other disciplines, publication in scholarly journals is viewed as key to one's scholarly successpublish or perish, as the old adage goes. Scholars are promoted and recognized on the basis of their written work (Guyer and Fidell 1973), in terms of both number and quality. For the health of the discipline, it is important to assess the journal publication playing field and determine whether it is level for both men and women.Research regarding publication trends of men and women in multiple disciplines has shown that men consistently publish more than women ( This article analyzes the presence of female authors in four of the top political science journals over the past decade (2000-09)-the American Political Science Review (APSR), the American Journal of Political Science (AJPS), the Journal of Politics (JOP ), and PS: Political Science and Politics (PS). In particular, we ask whether female authors differ from male authors in their presence as lead author, presence in multi-authored articles, funding, methodology, and general research approach. We conducted a systematic content analysis to determine the gender ratio of authors, their funding sources, their methods, and the ratio of qualitative and quantitative studies. This article presents an opportunity for the field to reflect on women's publication trends in four high-quality journals over the past decade and consider what we would like these trends to be. USING PUBLICATION RATES IS NOT ENOUGH!Publication rates alone are not enough to determine whether women are represented in any discipline. Most studies have shown that...

Gender and bias in the International Relations curriculum: Insights from reading lists

“…Yet the extent to which they are shaping co-authorship patterns is unclear. Recent literature suggests a persistent link between male dominance in the discipline and mixed co-authorship predominance among female scholars (Bird, 2011: 932;Evans and Moulder, 2011;Teele and Thelen, 2017: 438).…”

‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’: diversity and scholarship in Intelligence Studies

“…8 Female authors appear significantly less than their male counterparts in Political Science journals, though the discrepancy between male and female authorship is comparable to the presence of women in the field. 9 This lack of diversity is problematic to the extent it is a constitutive practice that constrains the discipline, that is to say, the subjects and the objects of Intelligence Studies. 10 To be clear, Western male authors should not stop researching and writing about intelligence, but encouraging a more diverse set of authors to write about intelligence and exploring non-Anglophone cultures might provide new and important insights into the nature of intelligence.…”

Profile of Contributors to the American Political Science Review, 2010

“…Within the political science profession in the United States, women and minorities continue to be underrepresented, from membership in the American Political Science Association; as faculty in lower ranks in political science departments; among contributors of full length articles to the American Political Science Review and other top political science journals; and among editorial board members in APSR and other 'top' political science journals (Alex-Assensoh et al, 2005;Ards et al, 1997;Brandes et al, 2001;Breuning & Sanders, 2007;Cassese et al, 2012;Evans & Moulder, 2011;Fisher et al, 1998;Grofman, 2009;Hesli et al, 2012;Lopez, 2003;Losco, 1998;Mann, 1998;Marshall & Rothgeb, Jr., 2011;Miller & Tien, 1996;Nelson & Brammer, 2010;Rothgeb, Jr. & Burger, 2009;Sampaio, 2006;Stegmaier et al, 2011;Young, 1995).…”

“…320-322). The study of Evans and Moulder (2011) Stegmaier et al (2011) examine the gender make-up of editors in the top 50 political science journals in 2010 and find that: "95 people are titled editor among the 50 journals…. overall, 78 men and 17 women serve as editors, which translates into women holding 18% of the editorships.…”

“…The APSR like the top economics journal in the U.S., the American Economic Review (AER) are known as international journals, which means that students and scholars, policy makers and other elites in the U.S. and abroad tend to read them and the authors that publish in them are from all over the world. So once one publish an article in the APSR, he or she can become internationally known, which benefits the institutions that employ them (Ballard & Mitchell, 1998;Breuning & Sanders, 2007;De Rond & Miller, 2005;Evans & Moulder, 2011;Finifter, 1998;Fisher et al, 1998;Garand et al, 2009;Garand & Graddy, 1999;Garand & Giles, 2003;Grofman, 2009;Marshall & Rothgeb, Jr. 2011;Miller & Tien, 1996;Plümper, 2007;Rogowski, 2012;Schmidt & Chingos, 2007, p. 523;Polsky, 2007;Sigelman, 2006;Tang & Chamberlain, 2003). Fisher et al (1998) note of the efforts of political scientists to study various aspects of their profession: "Political scientists have a tradition of reflecting on the evolution and state of their discipline.…”