Little research has specifically explored the effect of student and supervisor gender on publication rate at a graduate level. Previous studies that have investigated the role of gender in STEM publications have typically focussed on stereotypically male dominated fields such as engineering.

In our study we are investigating the gender and publication outcomes within biological sciences because we are a lab passionate about biology. Globally, the gender balance in biological sciences varies with career stage. Undergraduate biology commonly has a high proportion of females, while there are roughly equal numbers of male and female students pursuing PhDs. It’s after the PhD stage where the female proportion begins to decline, with decreasing numbers of females in post-doctoral and professorship roles.

We aim to understand publication patterns that arise from gender differences at both the student and supervisor level within biological sciences. Our main goals are to determine the links between student and supervisor genders’ and the effect of supervisor rank (ie. Dr, Associate Professor, Professor) on publication outcomes. We’re also interested to see if any trends vary between fields of biological sciences. Understanding publication patterns that arise from gender differences is particularly important during early career stages.

Project Collaborators

Margie Mayfield
The University of Queensland

Post-graduate students