Institute for Social Science Research

The purpose of this study is to provide evidence of occupational/ disciplinary differences in women's research production and to examine these differences from various theoretical perspectives. It is clear that research performance is central to advancement in the profession and is, therefore, an important area of inquiry (e.g. Blackburn et a1,,1978; Smart & McLaughlin,1978; Weiss & Lillard,1982). It is also clear that women tend to be less .productive in research than men and generally do not fare as well in terms of career outcomes (Astin, 1978,1984; Cole,1979; Reskin,1978). Given the importance of research performance in the typical academic career, knowledge about occupation-specific performance differences is important to women who are engaged in (or aspire to) careers in academe.