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oai:figshare.com:article/34026043 2026-09-29T17:27:36Z category_7 category_12 category_21 category_24 category_64 category_106 category_122 category_132 portal_5 item_type_6 month_year_09_2026

Sample search strategy for MEDLINE. Nicolette Christodoulakis (22311667) Daeria O. Lawson (10521079) Jessyca Silva (18341716) Jack Young (3973229) Laura N. Anderson (9473867) Harriette G. C. Van Spall (12090889) Carmen H. Logie (10521073) Lawrence Mbuagbaw (117465) Medicine Cell Biology Biotechnology Evolutionary Biology Cancer Science Policy Mental Health Infectious Diseases fewer listed co country income level 90 &# 8211 02 &# 8211 01 &# 8211 secondary outcomes included large study focused inclusive research environments adjusted odds ratio separate outcomes ). gender using genderize examine gender representation last authorship positions scale methodological research women &# 8217 ci &# 8722 among last authors 334 last authors 14 %, 95 375 included studies among first authors 332 first authors women last authors aor ]= 0 &# 8722 last authorship methodological research last authors study team adjusted models last author gender probability gender disparity gender difference 97 ). included studies methodological articles classifying authors xlink "> publication year primary outcome largely unexplored help foster findings highlight <div> ObjectivesGender disparities in methodological studies are largely unexplored. We aimed to examine gender representation between first and last authorship positions in methodological research in health science. MethodsWe searched for methodological articles as part of a large study focused on creating a methodological study reporting checklist. We extracted the names of the first and last authors of all included studies and determined their gender using Genderize.io, classifying authors as women if the gender probability was ≥ 60%. Our primary outcome was the proportion of studies with women in leadership roles (first or last author as separate outcomes). Secondary outcomes included the proportion of studies with both or either the first or last authors as women. We examined associations between women’s leadership and country income level, World Health Organization region, number of authors on the study team, and publication year. ResultsOf the 1,375 included studies, the genders of 1,332 first authors and 1,334 last authors were determined. Among first authors, 675 (50.7%) were women, and 657 (49.3%) were men, indicating no gender difference. Among last authors, 486 (36.4%) were women, and 848 (63.6%) were men, with a statistically significant difference (χ² = 98.23, p < 0.001). Studies with women last authors had fewer listed co-authors than those with men (t = −3.63, p < 0.001; risk difference = −27.14%, 95% CI −32.50% to −21.77%). In adjusted models, women’s last authorship was negatively associated with number of authors (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=0.93, 95% CI 0.90–0.97). Publication year was associated with both women first (aOR=1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05) and last (aOR=1.05, 95% CI 1.02–1.07) authorship. ConclusionsOur findings highlight a gender disparity in last authorship positions, with men more often in these roles. The association between women last authorship position and smaller author teams may reflect differences in collaborative structure and access to leadership opportunities in larger-scale methodological research. Addressing these disparities can help foster more inclusive research environments, especially within methodological research.</div> 2026-09-29T17:27:34Z Text Journal contribution 10.1371/journal.pone.0359403.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/_p_Sample_search_strategy_for_MEDLINE_p_/34026043 CC BY 4.0