Why do male-written papers receive more citations than women-authored publications? It may all be in the wording.

A recent study in The BMJ by Marc J Lerchenmueller, PhD, assistant professor for technological innovation and management science at the University of Mannheim, Olav Sorenson, PhD, Frederick Frank ’54 and Mary C Tanner Professor of Management at Yale School of Management, and Anupam B. Jena, MD, PhD, Ruth L. Newhouse Associate Professor of Health Care Policy, showed that papers with male authors were 21% more likely to use positive terms when describing their research than papers authored by women. These papers were more likely to use words such a “unprecedented”, “unique”, and “novel” and had up to 13% more citations than papers that used less promotional wording.

Analyzing 101,720 studies published between 2002 and 2017, the study team used Genderize to determine the probable gender of the authors. They found that articles in which the first and last authors were both female were 12% less likely to use positive terms when describing their findings.

“The factors that underlie gender disparities in academia are many and complex, but it is important to be aware that language may also play a role — as both a driver of inequality and as a symptom of gender differences in socialization,” said Jena told The Harvard Gazette.

As women remain underrepresented in academia, receiving fewer promotions, earning lower salaries, and being awarded fewer grants, it is imperative to be aware of this gender gap and the biases that contribute to it. The strive for equity must be approached from various angles, including publications.

This study has been featured in The New York Times, The U.S. News & World Report, The Guardian, Medical News Today, The Scientist, Tech Explorist, and News Medical.