National contexts and gendered research performance: a study of Armenia and Italy

Abstract Gender disparities in academic research remain a persistent concern. They are reflected in publication activity, citation impact, collaboration, and representation in senior academic positions, but the magnitude and form of these gaps vary across national contexts. This study provides an exploratory, most-different systems comparison of Armenia and Italy, two countries that differ markedly in the size, resources, and institutional organization of their research systems. Using individual-level bibliometric data from the Web of Science Core Collection (2017–2021), linked to census information on 3,617 Armenian and 27,034 Italian STEMM researchers, we compare gender differences in output, field-normalized impact, productivity, and collaboration patterns. The analysis documents substantial gender gaps in both countries, alongside cross-country differences in how these gaps are expressed (e.g., publication activity, productivity dispersion, and international collaboration). By mapping convergences and divergences with harmonized indicators, the study contributes comparative evidence on the extent to which gendered performance patterns persist across contrasting research systems, and it identifies policy-relevant areas where further, context-sensitive analysis is warranted.