Dr Megan Head has been in the news after she and her colleague Fiona Ingleby received an inappropriate, sexist review of a manuscript they submitted to PLoSONE. Their study surveyed male-female differences in success at obtaining post-doctoral funding and fellowships. After an unsatisfactory review process, and having lodged an appeal and giving the journal a reasonable chance to attend to the matter, Drs Head and Ingleby posted portions of the review on Twitter. There was an eruption of online responses and articles in major print media (e.g. Times Higher Education, Washington Post, and Science). Dr Head’s experience is a timely reminder of the need to be proactive in countering sexism in science.

Related links

• PLOS ONE ousts reviewer, editor after sexist peer-review storm, Science, 1 May 2015
• It's a man's world - for one peer revierer, at  least, Retraction Watch, 29 April, 2015
• ‘Sexist’ peer review causes storm online, Times Higher Education, 30 April 2015
• Sexism in science: Peer editor tells female researchers their study needs a male author, The Washington Post, 30 April 2015