Earth and Space Science Collaboration During a Pandemic: An Analysis of
AGU Journal Submissions and AGU Fall Meeting Abstract Authors, 2018-2020
Abstract
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) has extensive journal submission
and annual meeting abstract data that we can use to study effects within
the Earth and space science (E&SS) community. We had provided an
initial analysis based on data through June of 2020 (Wooden, 2020), and
here we provide journal submission data analysis through October 2020
and analyze author team demographics of both journal submissions and our
annual Fall Meeting abstracts. This most recent analysis shows: 1)
Monthly journal article submissions have increased in 2020, while the
proportion submitted by women have remained at 23% with monthly
fluctuations of +/- 1-3 points. 2) 2020 journal article submissions from
China surpassed those from the U.S. in every month except April.
However, AGU Fall Meeting abstracts from China decreased 57% compared
to last year. 3) Submissions from men and women in their 20s decreased
while submissions from women in their 30s and 50s and men in their 40s
increased. 4) Among journal articles and meeting abstracts, average
author team size has increased; the proportion of mixed gender teams
have increased while all-male teams have decreased. All-female teams
have remained steady. 5)The age of submitting abstract authors has
decreased but surprisingly with a smaller proportion of students
submitting and a larger proportion of early-career researchers
submitting abstracts.