The purpose of the study Meta-analysis of gender and science research was to collect and analyse research on horizontal and vertical gender segregation in research careers, as well as the underlying causes and effects of these two processes.

The objectives of the study were to:

• Provide an exhaustive overview and analysis of research on gender and science carried out at the European, national, and regional levels.
• Make the study results accessible to researchers and policy-makers via an informed bibliography (online database) and a set of reports.
• Steer policy-making on gender and science and define future research priorities within the Framework Programme, in particular through good practice examples and gap analysis in the various research topics.

For the purposes of the study, ‘science’ was understood in its broadest meaning, including social sciences and humanities as well as research and technological development.
The study covered the research on gender and science produced between 1980 and 2008, in all European languages, in 33 countries: the 27 EU Member States as well as 6 Associated Countries to the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) (Croatia, Iceland,
Israel, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey).