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Undergraduate Gender Diversity and the Direction of Scientific Research
Francesca Truffa
Ashley Wong
蝌蚪网 Review (Forthcoming)
Abstract
Can diversity lead to greater research focus on populations underrepresented
in science? Between 1960 and 1990, 76 all-male US universities transitioned to
coeducation. Using a generalized difference-in-differences design, we find that
coeducation led to a 44% increase in gender-related research publications. This
increase is driven by research focused on female subjects and gender differences. While coeducation led to a compositional shift with more women and
researchers interested in gender topics, much of the increase comes from male
incumbent researchers shifting their research focus toward gender-related topics. The results support interaction with more diverse students and peers as
key underlying mechanisms.
