As academic knowledge exchange increasingly shifts to online platforms, understanding the dynamics of knowledge-seeking behaviors is essential for fostering inclusive and effective digital communities. This study investigates knowledge-seeking behaviors on academic question-and-answer (Q&A) platforms, focusing on how regional and gender identities shape topic selection and engagement. Findings indicate that gender-based knowledge disparities exhibit both regional-specific characteristics and global patterns. Female researchers are more active than male counterparts in seeking knowledge online, with significant regional disparities in their areas of inquiry. Despite their participation in specific topics, specifically technical topics in Life Science & Biomedicine field, females report lower levels of expertise and receive less assistance in these topics. This study contributes a nuanced view of global and gender-based knowledge disparities, underscoring the need for targeted strategies to enhance support for underrepresented groups within academic knowledge exchange.
Tang et al. (2026) studied this question.