Do gendered citation advantages influence field participation? Four unusual fields in the USA 1996-2017

Abstract

Gender inequalities in science are an ongoing concern, but their current causes are not well understood. This article investigates four fields with unusual proportions of female researchers in the USA for their subject matter, according to some current theories. It assesses how their gender composition and gender differences in citation rates have changed over time. All fields increased their share of female first-authored research, but at varying rates. The results give no evidence of the importance of citations, despite their unusual gender characteristics. For example, the field with the highest share of female-authored research and the most rapid increase had the largest male citation advantage. Differing micro-specialisms seems more likely than bias to be a cause of gender differences in citation rates, when present.