Informetric methods for studying the diversity of the scientific workforce: Towards a state-of-the-art

Evaluative processes struggle with the notion of diversity of a scientific workforce. Despite overwhelming evidence on the need for diverse teams in terms of division of labor, ethnic mix or gender among others, bibliometric methods have traditionally been focused on the development of impact and productivity indicators. In this paper we attempt at reviewing recent advances in the development of novel informetric approaches and methods to study diversity in science. Specifically, we focus on those related to the scientific workforce. We first review the changes with regard to data sources which have made possible such approaches. Then we revise the different proposals made by organizing these approaches into three groups: 1) informetric methods related to individuals’ characteristics (e..g, gender, age, mobility); 2) methods related to individuals’ context (e.g., career trajectory, social engagement); and 3) approaches related to team dynamics (e.g., author position, contribution statements). We then conclude by identifying the main gaps in the literature and pointing towards potential areas to explore.