O Impacto do Gênero na Ciência e na Academia

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to assess the impact of gender on biomedical research through three observational studies, a randomized controlled trial and a book chapter. Study 1 had a cross-sectional design and aimed to assess whether the writing pattern in abstracts of funding submissions from the biomedical areas of FAPERGS differed between men and women. The relationship between the researcher's career stage and curriculum was also evaluated. For this, a language analysis software (LIWC) was used, in which the following variables were collected: Use of positive words, use of negative words, analytical thinking, clout, authenticity and emotional tone. There were no statistical differences in the writing pattern according to the gender of the researchers, however, applicants of successful proposals had a significantly higher number of published articles. In conclusion, gender bias in funding proposals seems to be a more complex problem than the language pattern used. Study 2, also crosssectional, aimed to investigate whether COVID-19 had a different impact on dentistry female researchers compared to male researchers. For this, all articles published between January 30 and July 31, 2019 and from the same period of 2020 in dentistry journals indexed in MedLine that contained an impact factor and that the first author had an ORCID profile were collected. In the 3,394 articles included in the analysis, the maintenance of the pattern existing before the pandemic (men publishing more than women) was observed, both according to the first author's career stage and the area. Considering only publications about COVID-19 compared to publications in the previous year, the proportion of men in first authorship increased by 67%. Therefore, we can conclude from this study that the discrepancy between genders was maintained (and even exacerbated) with COVID-19 in dental publications around the world. Study 3 was an observational study with the aim of evaluating whether COVID- 19 had an impact on the submissions of the three main dental journals according to the gender of the authors. For this, all articles submitted for publication in the three main dental journals in Brazil in the years 2019 and 2020 were analyzed. Of the 4778 submissions analyzed, there was a maintenance of the existing pattern before the pandemic (men submitting more articles) for last authorship and corresponding author. When considering the gender of the first author, this discrepancy between men and women was increased during the pandemic. Study 4 was a randomized controlled study with the aim of evaluating whether Brazilian dentistry researchers would favor a CVs identified as male students in a false post-doctoral selection. For this, all CNPQ scholarship holders of the year 2020 were invited to participate, as evaluators, in a postdoctoral selection. Researchers who agreed to participate were sent a curriculum randomized according to the student's gender and career stage, and researchers were asked to give grades from 0 to 10 in the following items: scientific contribution, leadership potential, ability to work in groups and international experience. For all categories evaluated, CVs from male students received higher grades, regardless of career stage. Evidencing the gender bias present in the academy. The book chapter entitled "Masculinidad hegemónica" aimed to discuss (and try to understand) the origin of machismo in society, its social manifestations (both in women and men), possible mutations over time and prognoses and alternatives for the future.