Are all Genders Equal in the Eyes of Algorithms? Analysing Search and Retrieval Algorithms for Algorithmic Gender Fairness

Stefanie Urchs, Stefanie Urchs, Veronika Thurner, Matthias Aßenmacher, Matthias Aßenmacher, Ludwig Bothmann, Christian Heumann, Stephanie Thiemichen

2025

Abstract

Algorithmic systems such as search engines and information retrieval platforms significantly influence academic visibility and the dissemination of knowledge. Despite assumptions of neutrality, these systems can reproduce or reinforce societal biases, including those related to gender. This paper introduces and applies a bias-preserving definition of algorithmic gender fairness, which assesses whether algorithmic outputs reflect real-world gender distributions without introducing or amplifying disparities. Using a heterogeneous dataset of academic profiles from German universities and universities of applied sciences, we analyse gender differences in metadata completeness, publication retrieval in academic databases, and visibility in Google search results. While we observe no overt algorithmic discrimination, our findings reveal subtle but consistent imbalances: male professors are associated with a greater number of search results and more aligned publication records, while female professors display higher variability in digital visibility. These patterns reflect the interplay between platform algorithms, institutional curation, and individual self-presentation. Our study highlights the need for fairness evaluations that account for both technical performance and representational equality in digital systems.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Urchs S., Thurner V., Aßenmacher M., Bothmann L., Heumann C. and Thiemichen S. (2025). Are all Genders Equal in the Eyes of Algorithms? Analysing Search and Retrieval Algorithms for Algorithmic Gender Fairness. In Proceedings of the 17th International Joint Conference on Knowledge Discovery, Knowledge Engineering and Knowledge Management - Volume 1: KDIR; ISBN , SciTePress, pages 489-500. DOI: 10.5220/0013835600004000

in Bibtex Style

@conference{kdir25,
author={Stefanie Urchs and Veronika Thurner and Matthias Aßenmacher and Ludwig Bothmann and Christian Heumann and Stephanie Thiemichen},
title={Are all Genders Equal in the Eyes of Algorithms? Analysing Search and Retrieval Algorithms for Algorithmic Gender Fairness},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 17th International Joint Conference on Knowledge Discovery, Knowledge Engineering and Knowledge Management - Volume 1: KDIR},
year={2025},
pages={489-500},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013835600004000},
isbn={},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 17th International Joint Conference on Knowledge Discovery, Knowledge Engineering and Knowledge Management - Volume 1: KDIR
TI - Are all Genders Equal in the Eyes of Algorithms? Analysing Search and Retrieval Algorithms for Algorithmic Gender Fairness
SN -
AU - Urchs S.
AU - Thurner V.
AU - Aßenmacher M.
AU - Bothmann L.
AU - Heumann C.
AU - Thiemichen S.
PY - 2025
SP - 489
EP - 500
DO - 10.5220/0013835600004000
PB - SciTePress