Open AccessIntersectional inequalities in science
Author(s) -
Diego Kozlowski,
Vincent Larivière,
Cassidy R. Sugimoto,
Thema Monroe-White
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2113067119
Subject(s) - homophily , workforce , inequality , prestige , sociology of scientific knowledge , diversity (politics) , sociology , public relations , political science , social science , mathematical analysis , linguistics , philosophy , mathematics , anthropology , law
Significance The US scientific workforce is not representative of the population. Barriers to entry and participation have been well-studied; however, few have examined the effect of these disparities on the advancement of science. Furthermore, most studies have looked at either race or gender, failing to account for the intersection of these variables. Our analysis utilizes millions of scientific papers to study the relationship between scientists and the science they produce. We find a strong relationship between the characteristics of scientists and their research topics, suggesting that diversity changes the scientific portfolio with consequences for career advancement for minoritized individuals. Science policies should consider this relationship to increase equitable participation in the scientific workforce and thereby improve the robustness of science.