In the last issue of Editors’ Update we asked: Does your journal have a role to play in supporting the careers of women in science and academia?


A. Yes, with small steps I can make a difference. By asking women to submit to, review for, or be on the editorial board for my journal.

B. Yes, but that role is minor and ultimately science itself will take its course and merit will determine the careers of scientists of both genders.

C. No, this shouldn’t be the role of the journal.

The majority of respondents (41%) agreed with statement A, feeling that it was possible to make a difference in this area without compromising on the quality of science published or the integrity of their journal. “Progress on equity can be slow if left to its own devices,” observed one editor, “I think proactive efforts are appropriate.”

One contributor felt a particular obligation to help early-career women and women from developing countries and does so via offering a little extra assistance to bring submissions up to the required standard. A couple of respondents observed that women required a little more encouragement than men to submit, speak up, and self-promote when it comes to candidacy for editorial positions. There seemed to be general interest in boosting female representation on editorial boards to the level that they were representative of the gender balance of contributors.

The qualifications of women were not questioned: “women are still a minority group…any woman that makes it to the top rank has, by definition, an exceptional proven track record.” In some cases women were seen as a superior choice: “I tend to choose a women…when I have a choice between two equally qualified reviewers…in my experience women are more likely than men to deliver good reviews on time.”

The view that the role of the journal is minor and that merit will take its own course was held by thirteen percent of respondents. And sixteen percent felt that the journal had no role to play in the gender balance issue in science. “We edit a scientific journal [not] running a service for perceived disadvantaged groups. I really don’t care whether our editorial board is 100% male, 100% female, or somewhere in between.” However a number of editors who gave these responses had some ideas of how women could be supported in pursuing a scientific career including faculty mentorships, hiring outstanding female academics when they are available (without necessarily waiting for a specific position to match her competencies), encouraging female graduate students to apply for faculty positions. Others referred to the problem of women already being over-burdened, both in- and out- side of science. One contributor mentioned feeling guilty about both aspects of her life while trying to divide herself between family and science; another indicated that the gender issue itself leads to additional obligations and invitations for female scientists to boost female representation in boards and committees.

In general contributions acknowledged that there is an issue, but also that opportunities for women have increased enormously in recent years, your contributions indicate that they will continue to expand over the coming years.