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Only 21% of rheumatology journals showed gender-balanced editorial boards, defined as 40%-60% women members, based on data from 34 publications.
Women remain underrepresented on the editorial boards of medical journals in general, and rheumatology journals are no exception, according to Pavel V. Ovseiko, DPhil, of the University of Oxford (England) and colleagues.
“Gender representation on editorial boards matters because editorships-in-chief and editorial board memberships are prestigious roles that increase the visibility of role-holders and provide opportunities to influence research and practice through agenda setting, editorial decision making, and peer review,” the researchers wrote.
In a study published in The Lancet Rheumatology, the researchers examined the websites of 34 rheumatology publications in December 2021. The gender of the board members was estimated using a name-to-gender inference platform and checked against personal pronouns and photos used online.
Overall, six journals (15%) had female editors-in-chief or the equivalent, and 27% of the total editorial board members were women.
Occupation had a significant impact on gender representation. Gender was equally balanced (50%) for the four journals in which a publishing professional served as editor-in-chief, and women comprised 74% of the editorial board memberships held by publishing professionals.
However, women comprised only 11% of editorships and 26% of editorial board memberships held by academics or clinicians.
“Although academic rheumatology is male-dominated, academic publishing is female-dominated,” the researchers wrote.
Gender equity is important for rheumatology in part because most rheumatology patients are women, and the proportion of women in rheumatology is increasing in many countries, the researchers noted.
“Greater diversity on editorial boards is likely to have a positive effect on the quality of science through adequate consideration and reporting of sex-related and gender-related variables,” they said.
The seven journals with gender-balanced editorial boards were Acta Reumatologica Portuguesa, Arthritis & Rheumatology, Arthritis Care & Research, The Lancet Rheumatology, Lupus Science & Medicine, Nature Reviews Rheumatology, and Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.
To achieve gender balance and diversity on editorial boards, the researchers offered strategies including advertising openings through open calls, establishing and monitoring gender diversity targets, and limiting editorial board appointments to fixed terms.
The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose, but several serve on the editorial boards of various rheumatology journals.
Only 21% of rheumatology journals showed gender-balanced editorial boards, defined as 40%-60% women members, based on data from 34 publications.
Women remain underrepresented on the editorial boards of medical journals in general, and rheumatology journals are no exception, according to Pavel V. Ovseiko, DPhil, of the University of Oxford (England) and colleagues.
“Gender representation on editorial boards matters because editorships-in-chief and editorial board memberships are prestigious roles that increase the visibility of role-holders and provide opportunities to influence research and practice through agenda setting, editorial decision making, and peer review,” the researchers wrote.
In a study published in The Lancet Rheumatology, the researchers examined the websites of 34 rheumatology publications in December 2021. The gender of the board members was estimated using a name-to-gender inference platform and checked against personal pronouns and photos used online.
Overall, six journals (15%) had female editors-in-chief or the equivalent, and 27% of the total editorial board members were women.
Occupation had a significant impact on gender representation. Gender was equally balanced (50%) for the four journals in which a publishing professional served as editor-in-chief, and women comprised 74% of the editorial board memberships held by publishing professionals.
However, women comprised only 11% of editorships and 26% of editorial board memberships held by academics or clinicians.
“Although academic rheumatology is male-dominated, academic publishing is female-dominated,” the researchers wrote.
Gender equity is important for rheumatology in part because most rheumatology patients are women, and the proportion of women in rheumatology is increasing in many countries, the researchers noted.
“Greater diversity on editorial boards is likely to have a positive effect on the quality of science through adequate consideration and reporting of sex-related and gender-related variables,” they said.
The seven journals with gender-balanced editorial boards were Acta Reumatologica Portuguesa, Arthritis & Rheumatology, Arthritis Care & Research, The Lancet Rheumatology, Lupus Science & Medicine, Nature Reviews Rheumatology, and Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.
To achieve gender balance and diversity on editorial boards, the researchers offered strategies including advertising openings through open calls, establishing and monitoring gender diversity targets, and limiting editorial board appointments to fixed terms.
The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose, but several serve on the editorial boards of various rheumatology journals.
Only 21% of rheumatology journals showed gender-balanced editorial boards, defined as 40%-60% women members, based on data from 34 publications.
Women remain underrepresented on the editorial boards of medical journals in general, and rheumatology journals are no exception, according to Pavel V. Ovseiko, DPhil, of the University of Oxford (England) and colleagues.
“Gender representation on editorial boards matters because editorships-in-chief and editorial board memberships are prestigious roles that increase the visibility of role-holders and provide opportunities to influence research and practice through agenda setting, editorial decision making, and peer review,” the researchers wrote.
In a study published in The Lancet Rheumatology, the researchers examined the websites of 34 rheumatology publications in December 2021. The gender of the board members was estimated using a name-to-gender inference platform and checked against personal pronouns and photos used online.
Overall, six journals (15%) had female editors-in-chief or the equivalent, and 27% of the total editorial board members were women.
Occupation had a significant impact on gender representation. Gender was equally balanced (50%) for the four journals in which a publishing professional served as editor-in-chief, and women comprised 74% of the editorial board memberships held by publishing professionals.
However, women comprised only 11% of editorships and 26% of editorial board memberships held by academics or clinicians.
“Although academic rheumatology is male-dominated, academic publishing is female-dominated,” the researchers wrote.
Gender equity is important for rheumatology in part because most rheumatology patients are women, and the proportion of women in rheumatology is increasing in many countries, the researchers noted.
“Greater diversity on editorial boards is likely to have a positive effect on the quality of science through adequate consideration and reporting of sex-related and gender-related variables,” they said.
The seven journals with gender-balanced editorial boards were Acta Reumatologica Portuguesa, Arthritis & Rheumatology, Arthritis Care & Research, The Lancet Rheumatology, Lupus Science & Medicine, Nature Reviews Rheumatology, and Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.
To achieve gender balance and diversity on editorial boards, the researchers offered strategies including advertising openings through open calls, establishing and monitoring gender diversity targets, and limiting editorial board appointments to fixed terms.
The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose, but several serve on the editorial boards of various rheumatology journals.
FROM THE LANCET RHEUMATOLOGY