Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Gender-based disparities and biases in science: an observational study of a virtual conference

Junhanlu Zhang, Rachel Torchet, View ORCID ProfileHanna Julienne
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.07.483337
Junhanlu Zhang
1Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, F-75015 Paris, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Rachel Torchet
1Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, F-75015 Paris, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Hanna Julienne
1Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, F-75015 Paris, France
2Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Statistical Genetic Units, F-75015 Paris, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Hanna Julienne
  • For correspondence: hanna.julienne@pasteur.fr
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Data/Code
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Success in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) remains influenced by race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Here, we focus on the impact of gender on question-asking behavior during the 2021 JOBIM virtual conference (Journées Ouvertes en Biologie et Mathématiques). We gathered quantitative and qualitative data including: demographic information, question asking motivations, live observations and interviews of participants. Quantitative analyses include unprecedented figures such as the fraction of the audience identifying as LGBTQIA+ and an increased attendance of women in virtual conferences. Although parity was reached in the audience, women asked half as many questions as men. This under-representation persisted after accounting for seniority of the asker. Interviews of participants highlighted several barriers to oral expression encountered by women and gender minorities: negative reactions to their speech, discouragement to pursue a career in research, and gender discrimination/sexual harassment. Informed by the study, guidelines for conference organizers have been written.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • - Study outline - link to script and aggregated data - qualitative finding clarifications

  • https://research.pasteur.fr/en/project/jobim-2021-pilot-project-gender-speaking-differences-in-academia/

  • https://gitlab.pasteur.fr/hub/gender_at_jobim_2021

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted May 05, 2022.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Data/Code
Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Gender-based disparities and biases in science: an observational study of a virtual conference
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Gender-based disparities and biases in science: an observational study of a virtual conference
Junhanlu Zhang, Rachel Torchet, Hanna Julienne
bioRxiv 2022.03.07.483337; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.07.483337
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Gender-based disparities and biases in science: an observational study of a virtual conference
Junhanlu Zhang, Rachel Torchet, Hanna Julienne
bioRxiv 2022.03.07.483337; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.07.483337

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Scientific Communication and Education
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (3514)
  • Biochemistry (7367)
  • Bioengineering (5347)
  • Bioinformatics (20326)
  • Biophysics (10046)
  • Cancer Biology (7777)
  • Cell Biology (11353)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (6453)
  • Ecology (9980)
  • Epidemiology (2065)
  • Evolutionary Biology (13357)
  • Genetics (9373)
  • Genomics (12614)
  • Immunology (7725)
  • Microbiology (19104)
  • Molecular Biology (7465)
  • Neuroscience (41153)
  • Paleontology (301)
  • Pathology (1235)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2142)
  • Physiology (3180)
  • Plant Biology (6880)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1276)
  • Synthetic Biology (1900)
  • Systems Biology (5328)
  • Zoology (1091)