Comments that criticize or correct a published study are 20-40% less likely than regular papers that have a female author; in life sciences pre-prints women are missing by 20-40% in failed replications compared to regular papers

Voicing Disagreement in Science: Missing Women. David Klinowski. The Review of Economics and Statistics, March 15 2023. https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_01322

Abstract: This paper examines the authorship of post-publication criticisms in the scientific literature, with a focus on gender differences. Bibliometrics from journals in the natural and social sciences show that comments that criticize or correct a published study are 20-40% less likely than regular papers to have a female author. In preprints in the life sciences, prior to peer review, women are missing by 20-40% in failed replications compared to regular papers, but are not missing in successful replications. In an experiment, I then find large gender differences in willingness to point out and penalize a mistake in someone's work.

I23, J16, D91