Our Framework for Action to improve inclusion and diversity in the chemical sciences
Today we are releasing a practical, action-focused document to clearly set out how we plan to improve inclusion and diversity in our journals.
Called ‘A framework for action in scientific publishing – Improving inclusion and diversity in the chemical sciences’, the document seeks to address biases that can creep in at multiple points during the publication process.
Our Director of Publishing at the Royal Society of Chemistry Dr Emma Wilson said: “This framework maps out the steps we will be taking to minimise bias from our entire suite of journals. We are sharing it so that other publishers can join us in making scientific publishing more inclusive and diverse.”
The framework was developed following our enquiry into our publication processes – 2019’s 'Is publishing in the chemical sciences gender biased?'. This report analysed more than 700,000 research papers and 141,000 citations in our journals, revealing that women face subtle barriers at each stage of the publication process.
The data behind the report was also released as a peer-reviewed paper, with positive response from the community.
In our new framework for action, we recognise that strong foundations must first be laid to achieve lasting impact. Therefore, the document has two parts: Building the Foundations and Opportunities for Action.
Each part has four sections, which focus on specific topics such as “Establishing leadership” or “Setting standards”. Several actions are then suggested within each topic, which can be used to provide a general understanding of performance, and enable identification and prioritisation of actions.
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