Women Authorship Trends in the Highest-Impact Anesthesiology Journals from 2005 to 2021

Gender differences in scholarly productivity of early‐career transfusion medicine physicians

“…According to a 2013 publication, authorship attribution to females, sex terminology used in source publication, only represent 20% of author attribution in research publications [18]. Bibliometric analysis in specialties inside and outside pathology confirms gender imbalances in publication output and influence [5–7, 9, 11, 12, 17]. This is true despite the increasing number of women physicians entering academic medicine and a slightly higher proportion of women working in academia relative to men in our cohort.…”

“…The gender-based disparities identified in this study are consistent with previous studies in other academic medicine specialties. For example, a study on sex-based authorship trends, sex terminology used in source publication, in the highest-impact anaesthesiology journals over a 16-year period found that female physicians were less likely to be first and senior authors than male, despite increases in female representation in publications [17]. According to a 2013 publication, authorship attribution to females, sex terminology used in source publication, only represent 20% of author attribution in research publications [18].…”

“…Such metrics compete with other responsibilities, such as patient care and education required from academic physicians by their departments. These metrics may impede the academic progression, career advancements and promotions of women physicians [5–7, 9, 11, 12, 17]. This slower rate of academic advancement may help explain the gender disparity in senior academic positions and the lack of women senior authors on manuscripts or editors of books [5–7, 9, 11, 12, 17, 19, 20].…”

“…These metrics may impede the academic progression, career advancements and promotions of women physicians [5–7, 9, 11, 12, 17]. This slower rate of academic advancement may help explain the gender disparity in senior academic positions and the lack of women senior authors on manuscripts or editors of books [5–7, 9, 11, 12, 17, 19, 20]. Although there were more early‐career promotions, it is unclear how these metrics affects progression to full professor or promotion to section or departmental leadership.…”

The Women in Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Special Interest Group: What Can the Lessons of One Anesthesiology Affinity Group Tell Us About How to Build Impactful Professional Communities?

“…Barriers to participation in research for WIA include disproportionate family responsibilities, gender bias, sexual harassment, gender pay gaps, and disproportionate burden of clinical service. 18 In a review of authorship by gender in 5 high-impact journals in anesthesiology including Journal of Clinical Anesthesia , British Journal of Anaesthesia , Anesthesiology , PAIN , and Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine , Keim et al 19 showed that since 2005, the number of female authors has slowly increased from 2005 to 2021; however, in 2021 women still only represent 40% of total and first authors and 24% of last authors.…”