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. 2019 Apr 23;17(4):e3000212.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000212. eCollection 2019 Apr.

Request a woman scientist: A database for diversifying the public face of science

Elizabeth A McCullagh  1   2 , Katarzyna Nowak  2   3 , Anne Pogoriler  2 , Jessica L Metcalf  2   4 , Maryam Zaringhalam  2 , T Jane Zelikova  2   5
Affiliations

Request a woman scientist: A database for diversifying the public face of science

Elizabeth A McCullagh et al. PLoS Biol. .

Abstract

A global online register of women scientists, ready to share their science, was established by a cohort of volunteer women from the grassroots organization 500 Women Scientists on January 17th, 2018. In less than one year, the database "Request a Woman Scientist" comprised over 7,500 women from 174 scientific disciplines and 133 countries. The database is built upon a voluntary questionnaire regarding career stage, degree, scientific discipline, geographic location, and other self-identifying dimensions of representation. The information was visualized using the software platform Tableau, with dropdown menus that help query the database and output a list of names, email addresses, and websites. The biological sciences and women scientists from the United States of America were best represented in the database. A survey of women in the database conducted in November 2018 showed that of 1,278 respondents, 11% had been contacted since signing up for a variety of engagements, including media, peer review, panel participation, educational outreach, and professional/research connections. These engagements resulted in consultations for articles, video chats with students, and speaking opportunities at conferences and events. With improved functionality and marketing, outreach in the global south, and future translation in other languages, this database will further promote the profile and participation of women scientists across society, which in turn will benefit the advancement of science.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Database growth over time.
The number of women who have signed up for the database has grown rapidly in the time since its launch.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Current position.
The number of women represented in each position are shown, with the majority of women in the database identifying as professors.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Countries represented.
The countries represented in the database are shown in blue, with darker blue indicating greater representation.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Top disciplines.
The top disciplines represented in the database are shown, with size indicating greater representation in that discipline.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Have you been contacted as a result of the database?
Of those who responded to the survey, 11% have been contacted, with the majority of survey respondents having been contacted once.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Who contacted you?
The majority of those who responded to the survey and had been contacted through the “Request a Woman Scientist” resource were contacted by members of the media.
Fig 7
Fig 7. How did you hear about the database?
The majority of those who responded to the survey heard about the “Request a Woman Scientist” resource from Twitter.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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