Is there gender gap unequivocally? Evidence from research output 1958-2008

Women academics publish less frequently than men, they may also be subject to discrimination and gender bias in men dominated disciplines. Citation metrics are advocated by assessment bodies and advisory agencies to standardise research assessment. We focus on the metrics suggested for assessment and newer metrics that capture additional dimensions of performance. Our data comes from a sample of accounting authors from 1958 to 2008. The results suggest that citation metrics that accommodate excess citations, such as the e-index, tend to treat women researchers more favourably, and offer an evaluation of research performance that is better able to reflect the type of research output profile that is more typical for women.