The present study highlights the trends in female authorship representation within the Canadian Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. These findings suggest that female OHNS surgeons are participating in research overall at similar rates at which they are represented in the Canadian OHNS community [5]. Despite the upward trends in research participation, our findings suggest that at the senior authorship level, women continue to be under-represented. It is worth noting that female representation at the staff and leadership level adds an important context. A recent cross-sectional Canadian study identified that women are underrepresented in staff and senior academic roles, including both professorship and departmental leadership roles [6].

Although there has been an increase in the proportion of female authors in the Canadian Journal, our findings suggest that there is no significant change in female authorship representation throughout the study period. By leveraging quantitative findings, future studies should identify barriers to female advancement within the field and encourage actionable efforts such as promotion of women in academia and diversification of research opportunities. In doing so, we will be able to dismantle the hurdles and encourage sponsorship of female OHNS surgeons in their academic contributions to the field.