The Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) is running the second implementation of the Workplace Equity Survey (2018) . The 2023 survey is now open and is scheduled to close on 17 July 2023. MIchiel Kolman, Chair of the IPA’s Inclusive Publishing and Literacy Committee spoke to Simone Taylor, PhD, Publisher and Chief of Publishing Operations at the American Psychiatric Association about the latest survey.
Why is the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) running these surveys?
C4DISC is committed to transforming scholarly publishing communities and creates tools, resources, and training materials for improving organizational cultures. This survey will assess progress against the benchmarks set in the first survey, providing an opportunity to objectively evaluate change.
What were the main outcomes of the 2018 survey? Any surprises here?
The 2018 survey found that the scholarly publishing workforce is not demographically reflective of the wider population, and that its leadership does not reflect the demographic breakdown of its own workforce. This is not surprising to anyone who has ever worked in scholarly publishing, but what was interesting was that the respondents with characteristics more reflective of the leadership profile were more likely to report that they are fairly compensated, that they have fair opportunities for career progression, and that they are recognized by the leadership. Outcomes diverge significantly based on a respondent’s age, ethnicity, gender, and geographical location. A recurring theme from respondents was that it is direct line management that defines individual experience, irrespective of organizational policy.
Why the second survey now? Is it very similar to the first – are you tracking changes over time? Or are there differences?
As we emerge from the worst days of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have become more acutely aware of the structural inequities in our society. Many organizations globally, in the summer of 2020, put out statements reinforcing their individual and collective commitment to rooting out systemic racism and discrimination. The 2023 survey is an opportunity to find out about how much progress the industry has made since the first survey in 2018, and learn how the workforce perceives progress towards our objectives of advancing equity and belonging in the workplace.
The questions are very similar to the first survey. We would like to understand how the pandemic has influenced working practice and experience through remote work, for example, or through networking and engagement via virtual conferencing.
Why is it important that many people are participating? Who exactly are you targeting? What is the final deadline?
Ours is a global industry and it is important that the survey reflects the voices of a global audience. Issues surrounding equity inform inclusivity and belonging on a range of parameters: age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and geographic location. We would like to hear from anyone who works in scholarly publishing, and its supply chain of agents, consultants, infrastructure providers, and vendors. The final deadline is Monday 17 July. Do join the conversation and share your experience on working in the industry. Your perspective matters.
The 2023 survey is now open and is scheduled to close on 17 July 2023.