Women in Science – Understanding the Impact of Networks on Performance and Behaviour

The underrepresentation of women in science, and academia more widely, has been a persistent issue, prompting extensive research into the factors contributing to this gender disparity. Theoretical frameworks such as the Leaky Pipeline have been developed to explain the phenomenon, highlighting the gradual loss of women at various stages of their scientific careers. Recent studies have employed Social Network Analysis (SNA) to explore gender diversity patterns within scientific networks, examining how these patterns influence the formation of ties in collaboration, inventor, and citation networks. These investigations often focus on whether gender homophily plays a more significant role for women than men in forming new network connections. Despite these advancements, there remains a gap in understanding how these networks impact the performance and behaviour of women in academia, necessitating further exploration into the dynamics of network positions and their influence on women's academic careers.

This research topic aims to delve into the impact of networks on the performance and behaviour of women in science (or academia more generally). The objective is to move beyond merely examining how women form networks, to understanding how these networks shape and influence their professional activities. Key questions include whether the network position and centrality of women have a greater impact on their academic performance compared to men, and how these factors affect outcomes such as securing grant funding or the success of women-led projects.

To gather further insights in the intersection of gender, networks, and performance, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• gender diversity in collaboration networks and knowledge-exchange networks
• the role of gender in inventor networks and patent performance
• centrality of women various networks and academic performance
• the position of women in citation networks and academic performance
• the interplay between gender and labour market decisions and behaviours
• the role of gender in shaping global migration decisions of scholars.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Registered Report
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Social Network Analysis, SNA, women, science, STEM, gender diversity

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.