2025 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 3
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Beyond productivity gaps: Temporal patterns of gender differences in scientific knowledge creation
AUTHOR
Bili Zheng, Chenyi Yang, Jianhua Hou
ABSTRACT
Gender inequality in scientific careers has been extensively documented through aggregate measures such as total publications and cumulative citations, yet the temporal dynamics underlying these disparities are still poorly understood. Here we developed a multi-dimensional framework to examine gender differences in scientific knowledge creation through three complementary temporal dimensions: stability (consistency of performance over time), volatility (degree of year-to-year fluctuation), and persistence (ability to maintain high performance for extended periods). Using comprehensive bibliometric data from SciSciNet covering 62.5 million authors whose careers began between 1960–2010, we constructed knowledge creation capability measures that captured how scientists absorb knowledge from diverse sources and contribute to field advancement. We found that female scientists demonstrated significantly higher knowledge production stability (0.170 vs. 0.119 for males) while simultaneously exhibiting greater year-to-year volatility (6.606 vs. 6.228), revealing a striking paradox in career dynamics. Female scientists showed persistence advantages under moderate performance requirements but faced disadvantages under extreme criteria demanding sustained peak performance. However, these patterns varied substantially across disciplines, with female advantages strongest in humanities and social sciences while STEM fields show mixed results. Our temporal analysis revealed remarkable convergence over five decades, with stability gaps decreasing by 96 % since the 1960s, though persistence differences remain stable. These findings challenged conventional bibliometric approaches by demonstrating that gender disparities operated primarily through complex temporal patterns rather than simple productivity gaps, with important implications for designing more equitable evaluation systems that recognized diverse pathways to scientific excellence.
KEYWORDS
Gender difference; Gender inequality; Knowledge creation; Science of science
