Abstract
This seminar will look at how new types of data can be used to understand the structure of research organisations, which are major drivers of innovation and economic growth. This new data shows that the common measures of scientific productivity (like publications and patents) may incorrectly measure the productivity of marginalised groups.
Professor Julia Lane will also share her analysis suggesting that women are less likely to be credited with authorship on scientific publications than men. The gender gap is found across almost all scientific fields and career stages. A complementary survey suggests this bias does not just apply to women, but also to non-native English speakers, first generation researchers and immigrants. The seminar will also touch on possible policies to help attract and retain scientists from diverse populations and help improve the quality of science.
Finally, the seminar will discuss how data infrastructure might be established in Aotearoa New Zealand and how data can allow more examination of the organisation of science.
Julia’s presentation will be followed by a panel discussion. There will also be an opportunity for questions from the audience. The panellists are:
- Isabelle Sin, Senior Fellow, Motu Research, who has done considerable labour research on the gender pay gap.
- Meghan Stephens, Principal Advisor, Analytics and Insights Team at the Treasury, whose research is currently focused on microsimulation modelling, household incomes, inequality, and poverty.
- Gary Dunnet, Deputy Chief Methodologist, Stats NZ/Tatauranga Aotearoa.
This is a joint seminar hosted by Motu Research and the Treasury.
About the presenter
Julia Lane is a Professor at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a NYU Provostial Fellow for Innovation Analytics. She cofounded the Coleridge Initiative, whose goal is to use data to transform the way governments access and use data for the social good through training programs, research projects and a secure data facility.
Before this, Julia was a Senior Managing Economist and Institute Fellow at American Institutes for Research. In this role Julia co-founded the Institute for Research on Innovation and Science (IRIS) at the University of Michigan. Julia has held positions at the National Science Foundation, The Urban Institute, The World Bank, American University and NORC at the University at Chicago.
Julia has published over 80 articles in leading economics journals and authored or edited 13 books.
Video recording
A transcript and captions for this video will be available in due course.
Last updated:
Wednesday, 21 December 2022