Emergence of Structural Disparities in the Web of Scientific Citations
This study addresses the persistent structural inequities in the allocation of scholarly attention within scientific citation networks, which are shaped by gender and institutional prestige. The authors propose a generative model of citation network growth that integrates homophily-driven preferences, preferential attachment, and group size effects to systematically uncover the mechanisms underlying these disparities. Their analysis reveals that merely increasing the representation of underrepresented groups is insufficient to redress imbalance; effective mitigation requires simultaneously reducing homophilic citation biases and enhancing the visibility of their scholarly contributions. By quantifying the distinct impacts of gender and institutional prestige on citation distributions, the work advances a multidimensional intervention framework that offers both theoretical grounding and actionable pathways toward fostering a more equitable, transparent, and inclusive scientific communication ecosystem.