One hundred weeks of solitude: did the pandemic impact the scientific output of female researchers in three Mexican public research centers?

Resumen

Objective: This study analyzes the evolution of scientific production by female researchers at three public research centers in Mexico (CIBNOR, CICESE, and CIAD) during the period 2014-2024, with an emphasis on the impact of the pandemic

Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric analysis was conducted based on the Scopus database, considering scientific articles, book chapters, and reviews.

Results: The overall results show that the pandemic did not cause a decline in output. An increase was observed at CIBNOR and CICESE, while CIAD experienced a decline in 2022 before recovering in 2024.

Limitations on study/implications: The study is restricted to the Scopus database, recognized for including the largest number of journals worldwide, although the omission of other databases could cause bias in the

results. However, we consider that this limitation will not significantly affect the identified trends.

Findings/conclusions: This finding suggests that the impact of the pandemic on scientific productivity was not uniform and that institutional factors, adaptation strategies, and changes in funding and evaluation policies played a key role in the recovery. It is concluded that, although the overall trend was one of growth, the fluctuations observed reflect the complex interaction between external events, gender inequalities, and scientific policies