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Scholarly Journal Publishing Guide

Resources for McGill journal editors

Definitions

Equity

Equity, unlike the notion of equality, is not about sameness of treatment. It denotes fairness and justice in process and in results. Equitable outcomes often require differential treatment and resource redistribution to achieve a level playing field among all individuals and communities. This requires recognizing and addressing barriers to opportunities for all to thrive.  ​

Diversity

Describes the presence of difference within any collection of people, for example: 

  • Race​
  • Gender Expression​
  • Sexuality​
  • (Dis)ability status​
  • Socioeconomic background​
  • Ethnicity​
  • Religion ​
  • Indigenous identity​
  • Language​

Inclusion

Inclusion refers to the notion of belonging, feeling welcome and valued, having a sense of citizenship. It also speaks to a capacity to engage and succeed in a given institution, program, or setting. Inclusion calls for recognizing, reducing, and removing barriers to participation created by social disadvantage or oppression, and can result in the reimagination of an institution, program, or setting. 

Adapted from McGill Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategic Plan 2020-2025

EDI Initiatives in Pubilshing

Diversity audits

Some journals/publishers undertake diversity audits to ascertain the diversity of their:

  • editors
  • reviewers
  • authors
  • readers

Some journals will also review the diversity of cited works and examples.

Examples:

See additional studies on representation in publishing

Inclusive Language and Style Guides

Inclusive language​ examples*:

*Note: Many stylistic guide issues aren't formally resolved or codified. You should review various practices and debates and opinions in revising a style guide in your discipline.

Editorial Board Training

Questions to Ask:

  • "How might our [your journal's] policies or procedures negatively impact people who hold different identities?"  (quote from Harrison W. Inefuku)
  • Does your journal rely on informal networks to recruit? ​
  • What credentials are required for editors, authors, and reviewers? ​
  • Does your journal anonymize CVs?​
  • What is your journal's criteria for selecting articles​? Does this negatively affect any groups?
  • Are there any barriers to accessing opportunities in the journal?​

Sample Statements & Policies

Note: This statements are for guidance purposes. Journals may use these as template but should reflect on what meets their journal's priorities, goals, community etc. 

Accessibility Statements

See also Accessibility resources for layout

EDI Statements

Name Change Policies

 

Additional Resources

Beck, S. L. (2018). Developing and writing a diversity statement. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [23 Feb. 2021] from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/developing-and-writing-a-diversity-statement

Bosc, Lauren. Exploring Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications. Webinar given for the Canadian Association of Learned Journals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtBHM4QSctM ​

Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications: https://c4disc.pubpub.org/toolkits-for-equity

Library Publishing Coalition: An Ethical Framework for Library Publishing – Topis: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: https://librarypublishing.org/resources/ethical-framework/ethical-framework-diversity/

Roh, C. (2016). Library publishing and diversity values: Changing scholarly publishing through policy and scholarly communication education. College & Research Libraries News, 77(2), 82-85. doi:https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.77.2.9446

Roh, Charlotte; Drabinski, Emily; and Inefuku, Harrison W., "Scholarly Communication as a Tool for Social Justice and Diversity" (2015). Digital Scholarship and Initiatives Conference Presentations and Posters. 8.  https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/digirep_conf/8

Shraya, Vivek.  "#PublishingSoWhite: 13 Ways to Diversify Your Press" (2016). All Lit Up blog. https://alllitup.ca/Blog/2016/PublishingSoWhite-13-Ways-to-Diversify-Your-Press

Younging, G. (2018). Elements of indigenous style : a guide for writing by and about indigenous peoples (Ser. Indigenous collection). Brush Education 

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