Table 3.
Gender representation as deduced from web-collected data compared with data provided by editorial boards via e-mail correspondence
| Role | Web collection data only (%) | Data provided by editorial boards incorporated (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Editors-in-chief | 4 of 36 (11) | 11.1 |
| Deputy/executive positions | 29 of 92 (32) | 32.2 |
| Senior/specialized editorial board positions | 87 of 414 (21.0) | 23.0 |
| Wider/general editorial board positions | 369 of 1935 (19.1) | 19.8 |
| Non-academic editorial positions | 25 of 62 (40) | 46.0 |
| External academic editorial positions | 41 of 173 (23.7) | 24.8 |
| Honorary/founding positions | 4 of 91 (4) | 3.9 |
| Administrative positions | 9 of 13 (69) | 69.6 |
| All | 568 of 2816 (20.2) | 21.2 |
Gender disparity exists within the editorial boards of the most renowned general surgery journals. Women account for 20.2 per cent of editorial board members and 11 of editor-in-chief positions. The implications of such significant gender disparity are wide-reaching.