Examination of sex-specific publication trends within the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science between 2012 and 2017

An analysis of publication trends related to author sex was conducted on all articles published within the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (JCBS) between 2012 and 2017. This was in response to calls within the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) for an examination of its commitment to and progress in advancing inclusion and diversity. Results indicated that there was near parity in the overall numbers of male and female authors, with approximately equal numbers of male and female first authors. However, a significant difference was observed among corresponding authors, with males more likely to fulfil this role. Male authors also produced more single author articles. Furthermore, male authored articles received significantly more citations than female authored articles, though time of publication could be a confounding factor. Areas where further progress could be made are highlighted. This paper closes a key informational gap for Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS) by providing quantitative data on sex-specific publication trends within the JCBS. The results of this study may aid further empirical investigation into the possible factors underlying these sex gaps and potential barriers to publication for authors within the ACBS.