Gender Balance and Readability of COVID-19 Scientific Publishing: A Quantitative Analysis of 90,000 Preprint Manuscripts

Releasing preprints is a popular way to hasten the speed of research but may carry hidden risks for public discourse. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 infection highlighted the risk of rushing the publication of unvalidated findings, leading to damaging scientific miscommunication in the most extreme scenarios. Several high-profile preprints, later found to be deeply flawed, have indeed exacerbated widespread skepticism about the risks of the COVID-19 disease - at great cost to public health. Here, preprint article quality during the pandemic is examined by distinguishing papers related to COVID-19 from other research studies. Importantly, our analysis also investigated possible factors contributing to manuscript quality by assessing the relationship between preprint quality and gender balance in authorship within each research discipline. Using a comprehensive data set of preprint articles from medRxiv and bioRxiv from January to May 2020, we construct both a new index of manuscript quality including length, readability, and spelling correctness and a measure of gender mix among a manuscript's authors. We find that papers related to COVID-19 are less well-written than unrelated papers, but that this gap is significantly mitigated by teams with better gender balance, even when controlling for variation by research discipline. Beyond contributing to a systematic evaluation of scientific publishing and dissemination, our results have broader implications for gender and representation as the pandemic has led female researchers to bear more responsibility for childcare under lockdown, inducing additional stress and causing disproportionate harm to women in science.

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Migration and family change in Egypt: a comparative approach to social remittances

MIGRATION LETTERS ◽

10.33182/ml.v10i1.112 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 71-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Lucile Gruntz ◽

Delphine Pagès-El Karoui

Keyword(s):

Public Discourse ◽

Comparative Approach ◽

Structural Factors ◽

Host Countries ◽

Return Policies ◽

Social Remittances ◽

Power Set ◽

Gender Ideals ◽

Gulf States ◽

And Gender

Based on two ethnographical studies, our article explores social remittances from France and from the Gulf States, i.e. the way Egyptian migrants and returnees contribute to social change in their homeland with a focus on gender ideals and practices, as well as on the ways families cope with departure, absence and return. Policies in the home and host countries, public discourse, translocal networks, and individual locations within evolving structures of power, set the frame for an analysis of the consequences of migration in Egypt. This combination of structural factors is necessary to grasp the complex negotiations of family and gender norms, as asserted through idealized models, or enacted in daily practices in immigration and back home.

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Epilogue: Revealing Garments

10.1093/oso/9780198826309.003.0007 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Lilah Grace Canevaro

Keyword(s):

Turning Point ◽

Female Voice ◽

William Morris ◽

Gender Balance ◽

Samuel Butler ◽

Recent Scholarship ◽

And Gender

The Epilogue considers the semantic and poetological connections between words and weaving, and offers a broader perspective that brings in Tennyson, Waterhouse, and William Morris. Through Aristophanes and Plato it reflects on the cultural, social, and generic expectations of weaving and gender. Female voice is considered, in response to Samuel Butler but also in light of recent scholarship, translation, and literature that has changed the gender balance of Homeric studies. The Epilogue situates this book at a turning point, and reiterates its place in the discourse. Again through Morris, it returns to the all-important issue of representation, offering a final reflection on the particular status of objects in poetry.

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Description of multimorbidity clusters of admitted patients in medical departments of a general hospital

Postgraduate Medical Journal ◽

10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-139361 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. postgradmedj-2020-139361

Author(s):

María Matesanz-Fernández ◽

Teresa Seoane-Pillado ◽

Iria Iñiguez-Vázquez ◽

Roi Suárez-Gil ◽

Sonia Pértega-Díaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Hospital ◽

Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽

Hypertensive Heart Disease ◽

Chronic Kidney Failure ◽

Hospital Environment ◽

Heart Valve Disease ◽

Malignant Neoplasms ◽

Hospital Data ◽

Data Set ◽

And Gender

ObjectiveWe aim to identify patterns of disease clusters among inpatients of a general hospital and to describe the characteristics and evolution of each group.MethodsWe used two data sets from the CMBD (Conjunto mínimo básico de datos - Minimum Basic Hospital Data Set (MBDS)) of the Lucus Augusti Hospital (Spain), hospitalisations and patients, realising a retrospective cohort study among the 74 220 patients discharged from the Medic Area between 01 January 2000 and 31 December 2015. We created multimorbidity clusters using multiple correspondence analysis.ResultsWe identified five clusters for both gender and age. Cluster 1: alcoholic liver disease, alcoholic dependency syndrome, lung and digestive tract malignant neoplasms (age under 50 years). Cluster 2: large intestine, prostate, breast and other malignant neoplasms, lymphoma and myeloma (age over 70, mostly males). Cluster 3: malnutrition, Parkinson disease and other mobility disorders, dementia and other mental health conditions (age over 80 years and mostly women). Cluster 4: atrial fibrillation/flutter, cardiac failure, chronic kidney failure and heart valve disease (age between 70–80 and mostly women). Cluster 5: hypertension/hypertensive heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, ischaemic cardiomyopathy, dyslipidaemia, obesity and sleep apnea, including mostly men (age range 60–80). We assessed significant differences among the clusters when gender, age, number of chronic pathologies, number of rehospitalisations and mortality during the hospitalisation were assessed (p<0001 in all cases).ConclusionsWe identify for the first time in a hospital environment five clusters of disease combinations among the inpatients. These clusters contain several high-incidence diseases related to both age and gender that express their own evolution and clinical characteristics over time.

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WHY DON’T OLDER ADULTS USE SENIOR CENTERS? EVIDENCE FROM A SAMPLE OF MASSACHUSETTS ADULTS AGE 50 AND OLDER

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1845 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S498-S498

Author(s):

Ceara Somerville ◽

Nidya Velasco Roldan ◽

Cindy N Bui ◽

Caitlin E Coyle

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Age Groups ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Senior Center ◽

Community Resource ◽

Senior Centers ◽

Data Set ◽

Younger Age ◽

And Gender ◽

Vast Range

Abstract Senior centers are an integral community resource, providing programs and services intended to meet the vast range of needs and interests of older adults. There is a growing literature describing senior center participants and benefits to participation, but little is known about those who choose not to participate at a local senior center. This presentation uniquely characterizes non-users of senior centers, based on a sample of community-dwelling adults aged 50+ from seven communities in Massachusetts (N = 9,462). To date, this is the largest data set that describes senior center usage. Most of the sample were women (60%) and in the 60-69 age group (36%). More than three quarters of the sample do not use the local senior center (77%). The most common reasons for non-usage were lack of interest (27%) and not feeling old enough (26%). There are significant differences in reasons of non-usage among age groups and gender (p < .001). Younger age groups’ (50-69) most popular reasons for non-usage were not feeling old enough, not having time, inconvenient senior center hours, and not knowing what is offered. In contrast, older age groups (80+) more frequently reported having no interest or using programs elsewhere. Men were more likely to report not being interested and not being familiar with what is offered. Women were more likely to report not having time, inconvenient hours of programming, and using programs elsewhere. Based on results from this study, this presentation will outline implications for the future of senior centers and their programming.

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CAEP 2015 Academic Symposium: Leadership within the emergency medicine academic community and beyond

CJEM ◽

10.1017/cem.2016.9 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 18 (S1) ◽

pp. S1-S9 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Doug Sinclair ◽

James R. Worthington ◽

Gary Joubert ◽

Brian R. Holroyd ◽

James Stempien ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emergency Medicine ◽

Expert Panel ◽

Development Program ◽

Academic Community ◽

Academic Leadership ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Next Generation ◽

Academic Leaders ◽

Gender Balance ◽

And Gender

AbstractObjectivesA panel of emergency medicine (EM) leaders endeavoured to define the key elements of leadership and its models, as well as to formulate consensus recommendations to build and strengthen academic leadership in the Canadian EM community in the areas of mentorship, education, and resources.MethodsThe expert panel comprised EM leaders from across Canada and met regularly by teleconference over the course of 9 months. From the breadth of backgrounds and experience, as well as a literature review and the development of a leadership video series, broad themes for recommendations around the building and strengthening of EM leadership were presented at the CAEP 2015 Academic Symposium held in Edmonton, Alberta. Feedback from the attendees (about 80 emergency physicians interested in leadership) was sought. Subsequently, draft recommendations were developed by the panel through attendee feedback, further review of the leadership video series, and expert opinion. The recommendations were distributed to the CAEP Academic Section for further feedback and updated by consensus of the expert panel.ResultsThe methods informed the panel who framed recommendations around four themes: 1) leadership preparation and training, 2) self-reflection/emotional intelligence, 3) academic leadership skills, and 4) gender balance in academic EM leadership. The recommendations aimed to support and nurture the next generation of academic EM leaders in Canada and included leadership mentors, availability of formal educational courses/programs in leadership, self-directed education of aspiring leaders, creation of a Canadian subgroup with the AACEM/SAEM Chair Development Program, and gender balance in leadership roles.ConclusionsThese recommendations serve as a roadmap for all EM leaders (and aspiring leaders) to build on their success, inspire their colleagues, and foster the next generation of Canadian EM academic leaders.

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Sexism and Gender Inequality Across 57 Societies

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797611420445 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 (11) ◽

pp. 1413-1418 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

Mark J. Brandt

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Data ◽

Multilevel Modeling ◽

Gender Inequality ◽

Past Research ◽

Status Quo ◽

Data Set ◽

Representative Data ◽

Gender Hierarchy ◽

And Gender

Theory predicts that individuals’ sexism serves to exacerbate inequality in their society’s gender hierarchy. Past research, however, has provided only correlational evidence to support this hypothesis. In this study, I analyzed a large longitudinal data set that included representative data from 57 societies. Multilevel modeling showed that sexism directly predicted increases in gender inequality. This study provides the first evidence that sexist ideologies can create gender inequality within societies, and this finding suggests that sexism not only legitimizes the societal status quo, but also actively enhances the severity of the gender hierarchy. Three potential mechanisms for this effect are discussed briefly.

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Mercury vapor air–surface exchange measured by collocated micrometeorological and enclosure methods – Part II: Bias and uncertainty analysis

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-15-4627-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 4627-4676

Author(s):

W. Zhu ◽

J. Sommar ◽

C.-J. Lin ◽

X. Feng

Keyword(s):

Flux Measurement ◽

Bowen Ratio ◽

Vertical Gradient ◽

Systematic Evaluation ◽

Data Set ◽

Surface Exchange ◽

Concentration Difference ◽

Vegetation Height ◽

Gradient Based ◽

Flux Quantification

Abstract. Dynamic flux chambers (DFCs) and micrometeorological (MM) methods are extensively deployed for gauging air–surface Hg0 gas exchange. However, a systematic evaluation of the precision of the contemporary Hg0 flux quantification methods is not available. In this study, the uncertainty in Hg0 flux measured by relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) method, aerodynamic gradient method (AGM), modified Bowen-ratio (MBR) method, as well as DFC of traditional (TDFC) and novel (NDFC) designs is assessed using a robust data-set from two field intercomparison campaigns. The absolute precision in Hg0 concentration difference (Δ C) measurements is estimated at 0.064 ng m−3 for the gradient-based MBR and AGM system. For the REA system, the parameter is Hg0 concentration (C) dependent at 0.069+0.022C. 57 and 62% of the individual vertical gradient measurements were found to be significantly different from zero during the campaigns, while for the REA-technique the percentage of significant observations was lower. For the chambers, non-significant fluxes are confined to a few nighttime periods with varying ambient Hg0 concentration. Relative bias for DFC-derived fluxes is estimated to be ~ ±10%, and ~ 85% of the flux bias are within ±2 ng m−2 h−1 in absolute term. The DFC flux bias follows a diurnal cycle, which is largely dictated by temperature controls on the enclosed volume. Due to contrasting prevailing micrometeorological conditions, the relative uncertainty (median) in turbulent exchange parameters differs by nearly a factor of two between the campaigns, while that in Δ C measurements is fairly stable. The estimated flux uncertainties for the triad of MM-techniques are 16–27, 12–23 and 19–31% (interquartile range) for the AGM, MBR and REA method, respectively. This study indicates that flux-gradient based techniques (MBR and AGM) are preferable to REA in quantifying Hg0 flux over ecosystems with low vegetation height. A limitation of all Hg0 flux measurement systems investigated is their incapability to obtain synchronous samples for the calculation of Δ C. This reduces the precision of flux quantification, particularly the MM-systems under non-stationarity of ambient Hg0 concentration. For future applications, it is recommended to accomplish Δ C derivation from simultaneous collected samples.

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Nye seksualiteter, nye kjønn?

10.23865/noasp.142.ch13 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 295-315

Author(s):

Willy Pedersen ◽

Ketil Slagstad ◽

Tilmann von Soest

Keyword(s):

Sexual Debut ◽

Sexual Scripts ◽

Sexual Script ◽

Social Forces ◽

Gender Identities ◽

Data Set ◽

Heterosexual Intercourse ◽

Sexual Activities ◽

And Gender ◽

The City

Fifty years ago, the concept “sexual script” was coined to describe sexual activities as social and learned interactions. Such scripts gradually change, however, and result in what we may label “generational sexualities”. Drawing on such theory and the Young in Oslo data set, we show that age of first heterosexual intercourse, perhaps contrary to expectations, has increased over the past two decades. We also show how debut age reflects sociodemographic and area-related characteristics in Oslo: Adolescents in the wealthy areas have a lower sexual debut age than those living in less affluent parts of the city. This pattern, however, varies with factors such as immigration, religion and the use of alcohol and social media. Further, we show that one in five no longer define themselves within the traditional homo-hetero dichotomy. We discuss whether gender identities have become more fluid, and we show that the term “queer”, with its connotations of exploration, openness and inclusion, has become popular, as opposed to older terms such as “lesbian”, “gay” or “bisexual”. Thus, strong social forces shape adolescent sexual behaviours, but sexual scripts, and sexual and gender identities, seem to allow for more variations than before.

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Jak politycy mówią o równouprawnieniu płci? Debata nad projektem ustawy o równym statusie kobiet i mężczyzn

Kultura i Spoleczenstwo ◽

10.35757/kis.2008.52.3.3 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 52 (3) ◽

pp. 35-52

Author(s):

Magdalena Saryusz-Wolska

Keyword(s):

Key Words ◽

Gender Equality ◽

Public Discourse ◽

The Internet ◽

Self Presentation ◽

Men And Women ◽

Equal Status ◽

Basic Mode ◽

Equality Rights ◽

And Gender

The main purpose of the article is to analyse the language and argumentation used by Polish politicians in debates on equality and gender equality rights. The material analysed in the article includes shorthand records gathered in the internet archives of the Sejm and the Senate during legislative works on the bill on the equal status of men and women. The conclusion, drawn after the analysis, supports the initial theses of the authors (Marek Czyżewski, Sergiusz Kowalski, Andrzej Piotrowski), who claimed that the basic “mode of public discourse” in Poland is the so-called “ritual chaos”, which manifests a lack of will of agreement and ostentatious self-presentation. During the debate the MPs deﬁned the key words such as “equality” and “parity” in various manner, they marginalised the problem of discrimination of sexes and showed a lack of professionalism in their presentations. It was surprising to see one of the strongest voices against the bill presented by the representative of the “Platforma Obywatelska”, which normally claims liberalism and equality. Meanwhile, the most rational and balanced views and arguments for equality of rights for women were presented by a representative of the “Samoobrona”.

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Hidden Invalidity Among 15 Commonly Used Measures in Social and Personality Psychology

Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/2515245919882903 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 166-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Ian Hussey ◽

Sean Hughes

Keyword(s):

Measurement Invariance ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Self Report ◽

Structural Validity ◽

Data Set ◽

Personality Psychology ◽

Reliability Factor ◽

And Gender ◽

Gender Groups

It has recently been demonstrated that metrics of structural validity are severely underreported in social and personality psychology. We comprehensively assessed structural validity in a uniquely large and varied data set ( N = 144,496 experimental sessions) to investigate the psychometric properties of some of the most widely used self-report measures ( k = 15 questionnaires, 26 scales) in social and personality psychology. When the scales were assessed using the modal practice of considering only internal consistency, 88% of them appeared to possess good validity. Yet when validity was assessed comprehensively (via internal consistency, immediate and delayed test-retest reliability, factor structure, and measurement invariance for age and gender groups), only 4% demonstrated good validity. Furthermore, the less commonly a test was reported in the literature, the more likely the scales were to fail that test (e.g., scales failed measurement invariance much more often than internal consistency). This suggests that the pattern of underreporting in the field may represent widespread hidden invalidity of the measures used and may therefore pose a threat to many research findings. We highlight the degrees of freedom afforded to researchers in the assessment and reporting of structural validity and introduce the concept of validity hacking ( v-hacking), similar to the better-known concept of p-hacking. We argue that the practice of v-hacking should be acknowledged and addressed.

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