{"id":140222,"date":"2024-01-12T00:05:27","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T05:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=140222"},"modified":"2024-01-11T16:16:42","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T21:16:42","slug":"ocean-sciences-must-incorporate-dei-scholars-argue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/ocean-sciences-must-incorporate-dei-scholars-argue\/","title":{"rendered":"Ocean sciences must incorporate DEI, scholars argue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers should embrace DEI, ‘anti-racist’ training<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Ocean science researchers must work \u201ctowards equity and justice” in their field, according to a group of scholars.<\/p>\n

Their academic paper<\/a> includes a call for scholars to \u201c[a]dvocate for and actively create opportunities for your BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and female colleagues, even when this means personally stepping aside\/turning down opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nature<\/em>\u2019s open-access publication, npj ocean sustainability, <\/em>published the paper.<\/p>\n

Proposals focused on a variety of policies, including specifically promoting minority groups. These applied to funding, such as in the call for \u201cMore grants awarded to underrepresented researchers,\u201d and to citations, such as in the calls to \u201cCheck whether your reference lists are gender-balanced.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also suggest \u201cdiversity, equity, and inclusion\u201d policies and \u201canti-racist\u201d training for research staff.<\/p>\n

Ocean scientists should also educate themselves “on the work of minority scientists relevant to [their] study and consider proactively citing more work by minority scientists as an act of reparative justice and affirmative action in citational practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paper co-author Paris Stefanoudis at the University of Oxford provided The College Fix<\/em> with a sampling of resources to incorporate the suggestions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is really hard to track since there are so many issues covered here,\u201d Stefanoudis said, when asked about examples of the paper’s ideas being implemented. He pointed to the University of Wisconsin-Madison\u2019s Gender Citation Index Balance Tool as an example<\/a> of \u201cgender-balanced referencing.”<\/p>\n

Stefanoudis also mentioned\u00a0the publication<\/a> Conservation Letters<\/em>\u2019 policy as an example of the paper’s proposal to \u201c[m]andate that publications on the Global South by those in the Global North include authors from those geographies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The publication requires “manuscripts focused on conservation in Low and Middle Income Countries include authors from the relevant country\/countries.”<\/p>\n

The researchers also suggested the special recognition of \u201cindividuals from underrepresented groups through awards, invited talks, keynote lectures at conferences etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the researchers, Asha de Vos of the Oceans Institute of University of Western Australia, spoke regarding the contents of the paper and a related op-ed<\/a> she wrote in the New York Times<\/em> at a British Ecological Society conference<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Come here me speak LIVE on this at #BES2023<\/a> at the auditorium on the 14th December 11-11:30 am. Titled \u2018JUST conservation for a healthier planet\u2019, it\u2019s right after the awards ceremony (where I will proudly accept the award as @BritishEcolSoc<\/a> diversity and equity champion).<\/p>\n

\u2014 Dr. Asha de Vos (@ashadevos) December 13, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n