Gendered Science in the 21st Century: Productivity Puzzle 2.0?

Abstract

The notion of the ‘productivity puzzle’, referring particularly to gender disparities in science and technology publication rates, raises a variety of critical issues for understanding related workforce development and capacity.& However, such issues typically are framed relative to an increasingly outdated cultural and technological landscape in which scientific productivity is viewed principally as an outcome.& We argue instead that characterizing scientific productivity as a multifaceted, dynamic, highly networked, and interactive process, rather than just an outcome, might provide greater insight into the gendered nature of science and lead to a re-framing of the gender-differentiated productivity puzzle.& By rethinking how we engage related questions, we might gain ground on explaining and unraveling the productivity puzzle in ways that will benefit the scientific enterprise and society in general.