OBJECTIVE: In academic medicine, journal article authorship is central to career advancement and promotion. This study aimed to examine the contemporary representation of women as first and senior authors of rheumatology original research articles. METHODS: The gender of the first and senior author, disease category, research design, and funding source were extracted from rheumatology original research articles published in high-impact rheumatology and general medical journals between 2015 and 2019. RESULTS: The analysis included 7,651 original research articles. In total, 51.5% of the articles had women first authors (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 50.4-52.6%) and 35.3% had women senior authors (95% CI 34.2-36.4%). Women were significantly less likely to be first and senior authors of articles reporting randomized controlled trials compared with other clinical research designs (P < 0.001), and of articles reporting industry-funded/industry-initiated studies compared with studies not funded by industry (P ≤ 0.01). Of the articles reporting industry-funded/industry-initiated randomized controlled trials, women were first authors in 18.5% (95% CI 13.8-24.0%) and senior authors in 23.9% (95% CI 18.6-29.8%). CONCLUSION: In rheumatology research articles, there is gender parity for first authorship, but women are underrepresented in senior authorship positions. Underrepresentation of women in authorship is particularly apparent in articles reporting randomized controlled trials, and especially those that are initiated by industry.
OBJECTIVE: In academic medicine, journal article authorship is central to career advancement and promotion. This study aimed to examine the contemporary representation of women as first and senior authors of rheumatology original research articles. METHODS: The gender of the first and senior author, disease category, research design, and funding source were extracted from rheumatology original research articles published in high-impact rheumatology and general medical journals between 2015 and 2019. RESULTS: The analysis included 7,651 original research articles. In total, 51.5% of the articles had women first authors (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 50.4-52.6%) and 35.3% had women senior authors (95% CI 34.2-36.4%). Women were significantly less likely to be first and senior authors of articles reporting randomized controlled trials compared with other clinical research designs (P < 0.001), and of articles reporting industry-funded/industry-initiated studies compared with studies not funded by industry (P ≤ 0.01). Of the articles reporting industry-funded/industry-initiated randomized controlled trials, women were first authors in 18.5% (95% CI 13.8-24.0%) and senior authors in 23.9% (95% CI 18.6-29.8%). CONCLUSION: In rheumatology research articles, there is gender parity for first authorship, but women are underrepresented in senior authorship positions. Underrepresentation of women in authorship is particularly apparent in articles reporting randomized controlled trials, and especially those that are initiated by industry.
Authors: Neelam Hassan; Leonieke Jj van Mens; Uta Kiltz; Laura Andreoli; Concha Delgado-Beltran; Pavel V Ovseiko; Laure Gossec; Laura C Coates Journal: RMD Open Date: 2022-03
Authors: Pavel V Ovseiko; Laure Gossec; Laura Andreoli; Uta Kiltz; Leonieke van Mens; Neelam Hassan; Marike van der Leeden; Heidi J Siddle; Alessia Alunno; Iain B McInnes; Nemanja S Damjanov; Florence Apparailly; Caroline Ospelt; Irene E van der Horst-Bruinsma; Elena Nikiphorou; Katie L Druce; Zoltán Szekanecz; Alexandre Sepriano; Tadej Avcin; George Bertsias; Georg Schett; Anne-Maree Keenan; Linda H Pololi; Laura C Coates Journal: RMD Open Date: 2022-08
Authors: Katja Reuter; Carina Haupt; Anna Molto; Andrew Cope; Ronald F van Vollenhoven; Dirk Elewaut; Rik Lories; Iain B McInnes Journal: RMD Open Date: 2022-06