Unveiling disparity: A call to action for gender diversity in anatomy journal editorial teams

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the representation of women on the editorial teams of anatomy journals and to investigate the possible reasons for gender differences. The anatomy journals listed in the Web of Science Master Journal List and on the International Federations of Associations of Anatomy website were evaluated. The number, gender, and academic titles of editors-in-chief, associate editors, and editorial board members were recorded, along with the journals' continents, association/society memberships, quartiles, and impact factors. A total of 36 journals were analyzed. Ten out of 49 (20.41%) editors-in-chief, 71 out of 347 (20.46%) associate editors, and 285 out of 1065 (26.76%) of the editorial board members were women. The number of women on editorial teams was not related to the continent of the journal, any association/society, or quartile/impact values (p > 0.05). Asian journals had a significantly higher proportion of men associate editors compared to the higher proportion of women associate editors among North American journals (p < 0.05). There were 6 (16.67%) journals that provided information on the gender of the editorial team, 13 (36.11%) that provided academic titles, and 5 (13.89%) that published photographs. Women were rarely represented in all positions on the editorial teams of anatomical journals. The anatomical editorial community has an opportunity to make improvements toward gender equality by considering policies and strategies to overcome gender disparities.

Keywords: diversity; equity; gender equity; inclusion; women anatomists; women editors; women in anatomy; women in science.

FIGURE 1

Comparison of the gender of associate editors and members of the editorial board according to their titles. Academic titles were listed for 40.6% of men (112/276) and 32.4% of women (23/71) associate editors. For editorial board members, titles were accessible for 14% of men (109/780) and 17.2% of women (49/285).