US researchers may have found one reason why female researchers publish fewer papers than their male counterparts on average. After reviewing millions of studies published in biomedical and life science journals, they found the median amount of time studies spent under review is 7.4%–14.6% longer for female-authored articles than for male-authored articles, and that differences remain significant after controlling for several factors. The researchers estimate that for every 50 papers published by a female author, she will have spent on average 350–750 days longer than her male counterparts waiting for reviews and/or revising manuscripts.
EXPERT REACTION: Female scientists spend longer under peer-review
