Academic Collaboration as a Strategy for Equity: Can Collaboration Mitigate Gender Bias in Research Evaluation? Evidence from a UK Case Study

This study investigates whether the diversity of researchers’ collaboration influences research visibility and whether its benefits differ by gender. Using bibliometric data from 881 academics at the University of Aberdeen (UK), we measured collaboration diversity through Gini indexes based on co-authors’ institutional and country affiliations and assessed research visibility using field-normalised citation percentiles. Regression analyses revealed that collaboration diversity strongly predicts citation impact: researchers with broader institutional and international networks achieve higher citation percentiles. However, contrary to widely reported patterns of gender disadvantage, we found no systematic gender differences in collaboration diversity or citation impact. Women and men engaged in similarly diverse collaborations and derived comparable visibility benefits. An exploratory model suggested that women may gain slightly more from collaborating with different institutions than men, though this effect was not significant after controlling for disciplinary differences. These findings challenge assumptions of universal gender gaps in collaborative practices and highlight the role of inclusive institutional environments in promoting equitable research outcomes. They also suggest that structural factors beyond publication metrics likely drive persistent gender disparities in academic career progression.