The Effects of Gender on the Scientific Productivity of University Professors

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  • 大学教員の研究業績に対する性別の影響
  • ダイガク キョウイン ノ ケンキュウ ギョウセキ ニ タイスル セイベツ ノ エイキョウ

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Abstract

This article examines the difference between male and female university professors' scientific productivity. Many researchers have shown that male productivity tends to be higher than that of females; however, some other variables should be taken into account besides gender. It is necessary to test whether gender can be a determinant variable of scientific productivity even under conditions where other variables are controlled. The analysis was based on data collected through a questionnaire in 2010 that targeted university professors of a Japanese public university. The dependent variable was the number of academic articles by the professors in one year. It was found that the mean number of articles published by males was higher than that of females by approximately one. Next, the ordinary least squares regression and negative binomial regression models, which included other dependent variables, were adapted, and the variables of career length, number of classes, number of meetings, length of business and research trips, research areas, and academic ranks were measured. The results showed that gender did not explain the number of articles when we controlled other variables. On one hand, research areas and the length of business and research trips significantly explained the number of articles. For example, compared with medical professors, others tended to be less productive, with the exception of those in agriculture. In addition, the more one travelled, the more productive one was. The other dependent variables, family situations such as marriage and child-rearing status, and interactions between these with gender did not explain productivity. In conclusion, gender did not explain productivity in terms of the number of published articles when we controlled other variables. In addition, the significance of business and research trips in relation to productivity is a new finding. This suggests that providing researchers with greater support and opportunities for travel may boost productivity.

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