The Uneven Access to COVID-19 Research for Women in Science

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated gender disparities in medical and academic careers. In this study, we examine the impact of COVID-19 as a new research topic on the presence of women in key authorship positions in biomedical research. We determine author's gender based on the names listed on their scientific publications and analyze the changes in the composition of the scientific teams after the COVID-19 outbreak. Using a Difference-in-Differences approach, we find that although the share of female authorships has increased overall, women are less likely to be first or last authors (the most prestigious positions) on COVID-19-related research papers and more likely to be found in middle author positions. Stay-at-home mandates, the journal importance and funding opportunities do not fully account for the decline of women in key author positions. The main difference in first authorship is due to the composition of the team and the experience of the lead authors in COVID-19 related research. First authorship by women declined after teams of novices emerged, where lead authors have no prior experience in COVID-related research. Discretionality in first-author appointments for newcomers, combined with high pressure to publish quickly, may have led to discriminatory biases. Conversely, there may also be differences in risk-taking attitudes in doing research in unfamiliar domains. Monitoring gender inequality in scientific production is crucial for reducing gender inequalities and for implementing timely policies that ensure equal access to emerging research topics.