Mind the gap: gender, geography and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on publication in Regional Studies Association (RSA) journals

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were deep and lasting, and the effects on research and researchers have been widely documented. This paper contributes to this literature through an investigation of the gendered and geographical impacts of the pandemic on the five Regional Studies Association (RSA) journals. With the cooperation of Taylor & Francis, the RSA’s journal publisher, we generate a database of manuscripts submitted between January 2018 and December 2022. Employing gender-estimating algorithms and geographical locations of lead authors, we explore overall submission patterns over this five-year period, as well as trends in final editorial decisions by authorship characteristics, gender and geography. We find evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily depressed manuscript submissions, with heterogeneous effects depending on journal, continent and composition of authorship team. We also find strong evidence of persistent gender disparities in submission and acceptance rates that predate the pandemic, and therefore cannot be attributed solely to its effects. These findings reinforce the importance of identifying and effectively tackling persistent inequalities in academic publishing, and highlight that further action may be required in order to ensure equity and inclusivity in academic and research practices.