With all that’s going on in the world, it’s understandable that most of us are under stress. An accelerating climate emergency, an ongoing pandemic, and widespread gender and racial inequality has us all wondering: What is the world coming to?

Academics and researchers are, of course, in and of the world, and the responses they give in our annual society member survey reflect what’s happening around them. Researchers represent our society, but they also have a voice in their universities, research institutions, learned societies and associations.

That’s why the insights around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) taken from our survey are essential and need to be heard. Our whitepaper The Future is Now: Accelerating Change in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion looks at the issue from a wider perspective, drawing on a range of research, but we’d like to take a closer look at some of the important individual findings our survey uncovered.

Are members satisfied with their societies’ DE&I representation?

Over the course of 7 society member surveys, satisfaction levels with representation within societies has remained consistently good. This year was different - for the first time we’ve seen a significant drop in approval ratings. For example, 56% of respondents are satisfied with the representation of their society’s members across genders, which is down from 65% last year. Satisfaction levels with representation across racial or ethnic groups has also fallen, down 7% to 50%. This may not be a pressing issue right now, but societies need to take note.

Unfortunately, these findings aren’t surprising. According to research done by the Pew Research Center in 2017, approximately six-in-ten Black STEM workers say they have experienced some form of racial or ethnic discrimination at work, such as earning less than a co-worker who performed the same job or experiencing repeated, small slights at work. That compares with just 13% of whites in similar employment. Likewise, according to the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), although UK universities have fewer white people than the national average the balance changes as seniority increases until there are no Black people in management, directorial or senior roles. Not only that, but fewer than 1% of the professors employed at UK universities are Black, and there’s likely to be only one or two people of colour employed at that level at these institutions.

DE&I should be important to everyone

Some might think that the conversations around DE&I and the importance that it holds are fizzling out and being overshadowed by the pandemic. However, the work that needs to be done around creating a more inclusive research community is more important now than ever. According to the Brave New World Study, co-sponsored by Wiley, 37% of Black respondents said they had less time for research compared to 30% of white respondents. 45% of women said they had less time for research compared to 37% of men, both as a direct result of the impact of the pandemic limiting opportunities and increasing responsibilities around caring and households.

Our society member survey has made it very clear that societies have a part to play in improving the situation and taking the lead. 75% of members said that they believe societies should take an active role in making diversity, equity, and inclusion a central society focus. This was even more important for those researchers and academics based in Africa, America, Asia Pacific, and Central Asia. Respondents also thought publishers had a part to play with 68% saying that publishers should take the lead in DE&I. 

84% of early career researchers (with under 5 years experience) were in also agreement. For this next generation of society members, DE&I was most important to their membership concerns, so this ought to be something for societies to consider. For this group, DE&I isn’t just a moral and ethical issue, it’s a practical one too. Societies who choose to ignore DE&I will likely notice a decline in their membership.

What can (and should) societies do?

The good news is that there are several things that societies can do to address DE&I and be the leaders their members want and need. From working more closely with their publishers and ensuring that editorial boards are more representative, to removing barriers to training opportunities, supporting scholarships, and expanding the recruitment for prestige roles, so that all are included and given an equal opportunity. The key is ensuring that DE&I is central to your society’s strategy and not just an add-on. We need to be representative of those whose communities we serve with our research, otherwise, what’s it all for?