The founders of 500 Women Scientists reported yesterday (April 23) in PLOS Biology that the number of inquiries for contact information on the online database “Request a Woman Scientist,” which now includes about 8,500 people, has reached 100,000 within its first year.
The authors surveyed 1,278 scientists in the database, 11 percent of whom responded that they were contacted by journalists, journal editors, and conference organizers to give interviews, conduct peer review, and serve on panels since adding their information to the database. Of the respondents, 22.7 percent said they identified as an underrepresented minority.
Women who signed up to be in the database are from 133 countries and 174 scientific disciplines, although the US and biological sciences are most frequently represented, according to the assessment.
Media outlets that have stated they source scientists from the database include The Atlantic, Grist, and National Geographic, according to the report.
500 Women ...
