Women in science get less credit than men

Women in science are significantly less likely than their male counterparts to be credited as authors on scientific papers, according to a recent study. “The gender gap in attribution is found across almost all scientific fields and career stages,” researchers concluded in the study published in Nature.

“As the study’s authors write, the findings suggest that women’s contributions to science continue to be underestimated, 70 years after the British chemist Rosalind Franklin was denied credit for her role in the discovery of the structure of DNA,” writes the Washington Post.

The team found that women “are significantly less likely to be credited” on papers—13% less than their male colleagues. And they were 59% less likely to be named on patents. Survey responses suggested “that the reason is that their work is often not known, not appreciated, or ignored.”

This study found the gap existed at every position level, but it was particularly evident at earlier career stages.

“These are pretty big gaps, and they’re incredibly persistent,” co-author Britta Glennon, assistant professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, told the Post.

Read more from the Washington Post.