Dissecting the gender divide: Authorship and acknowledgment in scientific publications

The issue of gender bias in scientific publications has been the subject of ongoing debate. One aspect of this debate concerns whether women receive equal credit for their contributions compared to men. Conventional wisdom suggests that women are more likely to be acknowledged than listed as co-authors, a role that carries greater prestige. Here, we analyze data from hundreds of thousands of scientists across nine disciplines and a broad range of publications. Our results confirm persistent gender disparities: women are more frequently acknowledged than credited as co-authors, especially in roles involving investigation and analysis. To account for status and disciplinary effects, we examined collaboration pairs composed of highly cited (high-status) and less cited (low-status) scientists. In such collaborations, the highly cited scientist is more likely to be listed as a co-author, regardless of gender. Notably, highly cited women in these pairs are even more likely to be listed as co-authors than their male counterparts. These findings suggest that power dynamics and perceived success heavily influence how credit is distributed in scientific publishing. The results underscore the role of status in shaping authorship and call for a more nuanced understanding of how gender, power, and recognition interact. This research offers valuable insights for scientists, editors, and funding agencies committed to advancing equity in science.