Comparing measured and perceived productivity of Earth scientists during COVID-19 work-from-home initiatives

Bibliometric and survey-based data are used to evaluate and compare the productivity of Earth scientists. Work-from-home initiatives have led to disproportionate impact among different genders. An individual’s perception of their own productivity is significant in understanding how equity-deserving groups are affected by disruptions to normal routines. Additionally, peer-reviewed publications are a key metric of academic productivity, as they are a vital component of career advancement. Using sex- (female vs. male) and gender-based (women vs. men) methods, this study investigates how both the perceived and measured productivity of women and men was impacted by global COVID-19 work-from-home initiatives. Here we show that in a normal year females publish proportionally to males, and that the proportion of female first authors increased between the 2019-2020 (“pre-pandemic”) and 2020-2021 (“during pandemic”) years. This finding is contrary to the perceived productivity between women and men and indicates that our perceptions may not always match reality. Although women and men are publishing at nearly identical rates based on their proportions within our field, women are harder on themselves. Support structures should be focused on women and early-career researchers as their more negative perception of self-productivity can lead to mental health issues and a lack of confidence.