Who asks questions at astronomy meetings?

TL;DR

This paper investigates the gender disparity among questioners at astronomy conferences, revealing that women are notably under-represented in this role despite efforts to balance speaker gender ratios.

Contribution

It highlights a specific under-representation of women asking questions at astronomy meetings, adding to the understanding of gender dynamics in scientific communication.

Findings

Women are significantly under-represented among questioners.

Efforts to balance speaker gender do not extend to question-asking behavior.

Gender disparities persist in participation during conference Q&A sessions.

Abstract

Over the last decade, significant attention has been drawn to the gender ratio of speakers at conferences, and many meetings are evolving to better reflect the gender balance of the field as a whole. We find that women are significantly under-represented, however, among the astronomers asking questions after talks.