Comparisons of content and scientific quality indicators across peer-reviewed journal articles with more or less gender perspective: gender studies can do better

• Published in: Scientometrics Vol. 115; no. 3; pp. 1161 - 1183
• Main Authors: Madison, Guy, Söderlund, Therese
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic publications; Bias; Computer Science; Content analysis; Gender perspective; Gender studies; Indicators; Information Storage and Retrieval; Library Science; Quantitative assessment; Research methodology; Research methods; Scientific publication; Scientific quality; Social interactions; Scientific publication; Quantitative assessment; Bias; Gender perspective; Gender studies; Scientific quality; Content analysis
• ISSN: 0138-9130; 1588-2861; 1588-2861
• DOI: 10.1007/s11192-018-2729-3

The field of gender studies has faced criticism for poor scholarship and methodology, both from within and outside academia. Here, we compare indicators of scientific quality across three samples of peer-reviewed journal articles with more, less and no gender perspective, on the assumption that gender studies tend to apply a gender perspective. The statements in the articles were content-analysed with respect to subject matter, their level of support in surrounding text, and other indicators of scientific quality. The higher the level of gender perspective, the lower was the scientific quality for seven out of nine indicators. Support was higher for the no gender perspective group, but did not differ across the two higher levels. We suggest that the impact of the field can be increased by implementing established research methods employed in other disciplines, especially in terms of bringing about desired social and societal change.