When to use 'sex' vs 'gender' in publications, essays etc

[ErrolTheDragon]

I've just come across someone having to justify the use of sex rather than gender in some piece of uni work.

I know I've found some sensibly considered style guides as to best practice (in particular in the domain of science) in the past, so it occurred to me it might be helpful to compile a list for reference.

I shall see what I can dig up, but would be grateful for contributions!

First find - physiology.

In brief, they note the increasing use of 'gender' as a euphemism for 'sex', and think it's a bad idea.

They cite guidelines from the Institute of Medicine

'The Committee provided three guidelines for using sex and gender correctly in human and animal research. First, in the study of human subjects, the term sex should be used as a classification according to the reproductive organs and functions that derive from the chromosomal complement. Second, in the study of human subjects, the term gender should be used to refer to a person’s self-representation as male or female, or how that person is responded to by social institutions on the basis of the individual’s gender presentation. Third, in most studies of nonhuman animals the term sex should be used. '

www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00376.2005

Yes, someone please clarify.

'Reporting Sex, Gender, or Both in Clinical Research?'

jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2577142

• Conclusion and Recommendations Sex is recognized implicitly as an important factor in clinical research. More work is needed to standardize the way sex and gender are reported and elucidate the way these characteristics function independently and together to influence health and health care. The following recommendations for reporting in research articles may improve understanding and comparability across studies, and help deliver truly personalized medicine: (1) use the terms sex when reporting biological factors and gender when reporting gender identity or psychosocial or cultural factors; (2) disaggregate demographic and all outcome data by sex, gender, or both; (3) report the methods used to obtain information on sex, gender, or both; and (4) note all limitations of these methods.*

www.editage.com/insights/should-i-use-the-word-sex-or-gender-in-my-scientific-research-paper

The data collected annually on university staff and students asks for sex not gender. (Additionally gender reassignment and gender identified as are further data fields optionally collected.)

So SH's student data noted they were male snigger

This list may be useful

genderedinnovations.stanford.edu/sex-and-gender-analysis-policies-peer-reviewed-journals.html

Sex is Biology

Gender is Sociology

Trans is Psychiatry

Surely even in sociology there may be issues where the subjects' sex is crucial?

Sex.
Always.

Gender never really needs to be used and the idea that sex is objectively observed by others (correct) but magically morphs into subjective gender when observed by oneself (incorrect) is daft.

It's like having
Objective number of toes: 10
Subjective feelings about toe numbers:10
and creating a whole new category for the latter as if it mattered, including noting where subjective opinion diverges from objective reality.
Oh, and also removing the ability of the majority to objectively note their own number of toes accurately.
Indeed, every time I'm asked about my number of toes I can only have my subjective feelings about them noted, not the actual objective number.

Sex role stereotypes covers pretty much everything else intended by gender, and with greater clarity.

That may well be our view, but not necessarily current practice.

However, it seems abundantly clear from what I've read that scientists are realising it's important not to use 'gender' instead of 'sex'. That correct recording and definitions are necessary.