Abstract A024: Emerging editorial policies, researcher and author standards in promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in research: A focus on cancer

Abstract

Abstract By modernizing cancer journal roles and editorial policy there may be greater rigor, biological understanding, scientific generalizability, reproducibility, transparency, and inclusion in cancer research. A path to identifying, addressing and correcting of structural inequities in health has been recently established by three major medical journal’s editorial policies to date and continue to be influenced by the reality of several reviews of publications over years and decades of clinical trials in cancer where specifically race and ethnicity demographics of study populations have been under-reported. The NIH has acknowledged the importance of demographic reporting and the FDA has established that data reporting in clinical trials is important. Question: What is needed to transform the ecosystem to ensure standards in promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in cancer research? There are several considerations for stakeholders in organizations to address the issue of demographic reporting in research which includes both gender and race. There are metrics intrinsic to journal leadership which may include (i) demographics and diversity of leadership and editorial boards (ii) demographics and diversity of research staff. There are author considerations such as (i) diverse representation of authors (ii) Inclusion of a citation diversity statement, with attention to diversity in referenced citations (iii) statement of efforts and policy made to provide for inclusive environment, mentorship, and participation. Specifically, to ensure diversity and inclusion in non-therapeutic and therapeutic research, demographic and non-demographic variables in basic, clinical, and outcomes research should be considered by investigators and statisticians. For example, a statement of US and/or ex-US demographics of the disease, to whom the research question applies, and for whom the intervention is intended, and eligibility requirements that are scientifically justified. ASCO, AACR, MRCT- Harvard recommend action and policies for publicly reporting robust demographic characteristics on the enrolled clinical trial sample as part of the future modernization of journal editorial policy. The issue of demographic collection and reporting in research may be influenced by a variety of factors which include journal requirements, author demographics, investigator gender and race standards, bias, actual under-representation of the study population in the research consistent with the disease under study or rigor in the collection of demographics of the study population. There is a need for greater transparency of researcher, author standards, and journal requirements, leading to transparent research participant demographic reporting consistent with the research question. In all cases, the ability for any researcher, health care advocate or student to fully understanding the next question that needs to be answered and the demographics of study participants for inclusion is not fully optimized. Citation Format: Jeanne M. Regnante, Barbara Bierer, Karen Winkfield. Emerging editorial policies, researcher and author standards in promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in research: A focus on cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A024.