Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force Update and Future Direction

Abstract

As members of CSE, you’ve undoubtedly seen, in some capacity, our mission statement: “To serve editorial professionals in the sciences by creating a supportive network for career development, providing educational opportunities, and developing resources for identifying and implementing high-quality editorial practices.” While there’s no explicit mention of equitable representation and access in that single phrase—with respect to either the data published by the journals we represent or to our profession itself—there is an allusion to it in the supportive network verbiage that CSE leadership has taken great care to formalize in recent years. In 2017, CSE became one of 10 founding organizations of the Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC). The mission of C4DISC is to “work with organizations and individuals to build equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications.” In 2019, the CSE Board of Directors ratified a code of conduct affirming the organization’s commitment to equal opportunities and treatment for all regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, religion, age, appearance, or political affiliation, as well as its commitment to maintaining an environment free of harassment, discrimination, and hostility. Further, consequent to the nationwide protests against systemic racism, the CSE Board agreed upon the need for further action within our organization and, on June 8, 2020, approved the formation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. With this inaugural column from the DEI Taskforce, we intend to create a regular open channel of communication between the Task […]