Gender differences in library and information science research output: A comparative analysis of Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe

What the paper says

The examination of gender disparities in scientific research productivity among university faculty worldwide is crucial for advancing both gender equality and scientific progress. This study selected faculty members from 60 iSchools institutions across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. By analysing their CV information and research paper data from the Web of Science (WoS) database within the Library and Information Science (LIS) field, the study comprehensively examined gender differences in research output among faculty members from different regions, focusing on both paper output volume and citation frequency. The research indicated that North American faculty members significantly outperform their counterparts in other regions across both indicators of research output. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific region exhibits the most pronounced gender disparity in research output among faculty. Furthermore, the distribution of research output across all three regions followed a pyramid structure, with the vast majority of faculty concentrated in the low-publication and low-citation brackets. The study also revealed that educational background partially explains gender differences in research output among faculty in North America. In Europe, academic qualifications and institutional background were the primary factors driving gender disparities in paper output volume. In the Asia-Pacific region, institutional background emerged as the key common factor influencing research output. Notably, significant moderating effects were found only in the context of North America. Academic qualifications and professional titles significantly increased the paper output volume, especially among men faculty. In contrast, institutional background revealed notable gender differences in its effect on citation frequency.