Sex differences in the content and authorship of articles published in major educational, women's, and minority journals from 1973-1977 were examined. In that five-year period, research related to women in education accounted for approximately 10% of the research published in four major educational research journals, 24% of the research published in two women's journals, and 6% of the research published in two minority journals. No increase in the relative number of articles related to women and education published from 1973 through 1977 was found.Articles authored by women accounted for 9%, 59%, and 17% of the research published in educational, women's, and minority journals, respectively.No increase in the relative numbers of articles authored or coauthored by women from 1973 through 1977 was found.The relationship between publications and the status of women in educational research is discussed. Publication of scientific research is presumed to serve two important but distinct functions:to disseminate scientific knowledge about the research topic and to be a record of a scientist's productivity and, consequently, an objective criterion for allocating academic prestige.The publication of research in a prestigious, widely read journal that is sponsored by a professional association is a good indicator of the research topic's status, and the quantity of a researcher's publications in such journals is often an indicator of her or his scientific status. This is as true for research on women and education and for women educational researchers as it is for other sciences and scientists.By 1972 it was noted that educational research on women and girls was not widely available and that women educators were not advancing within the profession as rapidly as their male counterparts (Fishel & Pottker, 1977).That is, women's status in both areas was low.Partly in response to a heightened awareness regarding the problems of women in education, the federal government took action intended to improve the status of educational research on women and to improve the status of women educational researchers. The greater numbers of female doctoral students. female researchers. and female faculty at prestigious institutions should have increased the probability of female authored and coauthored articles being published.There has been no investigation to date. however. The purpose of the present study was (1) to determine how many articles on women and education were published in the major education journals and in women's and minority journals in the five years from 1973 through 1977; (2) to determine how many of these articles were authored solely by women. solely by men. or coauthored by men and women; (3) to determine whether the percentage of articles on women and education in the major educational journals increased during that time; (4)
Publications and Women's Academic StatusThere is a growing debate regarding the direction of the relationship between scientific productivity and career outcomes. Cross-sectional stud...
