REPORTER:
Erin Landis
KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
This interactive session focused on equipping editorial staff and journal editors with practical tools and frameworks to implement Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. The organizers acknowledged that while the current political climate in the United States complicates DEIA work, journals should not be deterred from their efforts to make the research process, including scholarly publishing, more diverse and inclusive.
One of the key resources presented was the “Focused Toolkit for Journal Editors and Publishers: Building Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Editorial Roles and Peer Review,”1 an expansion of the Toolkits for Equity Project2 from the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC).3 C4DISC works with organizations and individuals to build equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications. The fundamental premise of the Focused Toolkit is that editors can play a crucial role in broadening representation and facilitating meaningful change in scholarly publishing.
The toolkit outlines five core areas of action. First, editors can promote an inclusive culture and mission by drafting DEI statements, leveraging organizational resources, encouraging data sharing, and including diverse individuals in editorial processes. Second, collecting and reporting demographic data is recommended, taking care to protect anonymity. Editors should gather baseline data, regularly report findings, and reassess their efforts, using methods such as manuscript submission tracking and external surveys. Third, recruiting through active outreach and open processes enables editors to focus on characteristics and strengths rather than solely on accolades, incorporating open calls for participation. Fourth, offering reviewer learning tools and implementing coreviewing practices can provide accessible learning resources and facilitate mentorship programs for peer review. Lastly, fostering equitable peer review involves encouraging bias awareness training, promoting transparent reporting standards, and exploring diverse peer review methods.
Another resource highlighted was the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Toolkit for Journal Editors,4 which released its second edition in January 2025. This toolkit includes 45 specific actions to enhance EDI in journals, such as including local collaborators as coauthors, adding statements on community involvement (as exemplified by the journal Autism), and prompting authors to provide detailed descriptions of their research participants.
The interactive segment of the session focused on developing actionable DEIA plans using a DEIA Action Plan Framework (Figure), which includes five steps.
- Assess. This step requires users of the framework to consider how the opportunity statement aligns with the organization’s field or publication, as well as identify existing policies, practices, and initiatives already in place.
- Identify. In this step, users identify two to three actions, along with a time frame, to achieve both short-term and long-term goals. This is followed by a discussion of the challenges and barriers that may emerge, along with solutions to address them.
- Collaborate. Obtaining buy-in from various stakeholders for the implementation of DEIA initiatives is crucial. In this step, users identify key players and strategies to secure their buy-in.
- Communicate. In this step, users of the framework develop a communications plan, considering how and when DEIA efforts will be announced, as well as how progress will be communicated.
- Reevaluate. In the final step, users determine how they will measure progress, define success, and hold themselves accountable.
Participants were grouped together at tables and, with the support of a session facilitator, used the framework to discuss the following “Opportunity Statements”:
- Editorial Leadership. Build an inclusive culture by shaping the journal’s mission and/or improving representation in editorial leadership.
- Reviewers. Expand the reviewer pool and create pathways for reviewer engagement.
- Authorship and Content. Adopt equity-seeking submission standards for authors to promote more inclusive and representative content.
Key takeaways from the session highlighted that effective DEIA implementation in academic publishing necessitates multifaceted approaches that address culture, processes, and systemic barriers. Success relies on having concrete frameworks, organizational support, and the understanding that meaningful change demands persistent effort across various levels of the publishing ecosystem.