Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36853942›Full record

ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2023

A critical analysis of plant science literature reveals ongoing inequities.

Rose A Marks, Erik J Amézquita, Sarah Percival, Alejandra Rougon-Cardoso, Claudia Chibici-Revneanu, Shandry M Tebele, Jill M Farrant, Daniel H Chitwood, Robert VanBuren

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Building a diverse and inclusive plant science community.Journal of experimental botany · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Molecular aspects of heat stress sensing in land plants.The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology · 2025
    Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Embracing complexity in plant-microbiome systems.Environmental microbiology reports · 2024
    Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. A critical analysis of plant science literature reveals ongoing inequities.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2023
    Article
  19. Editorial: Women in plant biotechnology 2022.Frontiers in plant science · 2023
    Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Rose A MarksDepartment of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.ORCID 0000-0001-7102-5959
Erik J AmézquitaDepartment of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.
Sarah PercivalDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.
Alejandra Rougon-CardosoLaboratory of Agrigenomic Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, La Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, León 37689, México.
Claudia Chibici-RevneanuIntercultural Development and Management, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, ENES-León, León 37689, México.
Shandry M TebeleDepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
Jill M FarrantDepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-1450-7967
Daniel H ChitwoodDepartment of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.
Robert VanBurenDepartment of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.ORCID 0000-0003-2133-2760

Funding

National Science Foundation (NSF) PRFB-1906094
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The field of plant science has grown dramatically in the past two decades, but global disparities and systemic inequalities persist. Here, we analyzed ~300,000 papers published over the past two decades to quantify disparities across nations, genders, and taxonomy in the plant science literature. Our analyses reveal striking geographical biases-affluent nations dominate the publishing landscape and vast areas of the globe have virtually no footprint in the literature. Authors in Northern America are cited nearly twice as many times as authors based in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, despite publishing in journals with similar impact factors. Gender imbalances are similarly stark and show remarkably little improvement over time. Some of the most affluent nations have extremely male biased publication records, despite supposed improvements in gender equality. In addition, we find that most studies focus on economically important crop and model species, and a wealth of biodiversity is underrepresented in the literature. Taken together, our analyses reveal a problematic system of publication, with persistent imbalances that poorly capture the global wealth of scientific knowledge and biological diversity. We conclude by highlighting disparities that can be addressed immediately and offer suggestions for long-term solutions to improve equity in the plant sciences.

Indexed as

BiodiversityGender EquityFemaleGeographyHumansKnowledgeMaleNorth Americadiversityeurocentrismgender equalityinclusiontaxonomic gaps

Identifiers

PMID36853942
PMCPMC10013813

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.