Category: News

The next C4DISC Community of Practice call will be on December 12, 2024 at 11 am Eastern / 4 pm UK. Time converter link.

The theme this time is navigating difficult interpersonal situations. For professionals in scholarly publishing, these situations can arise across hierarchical lines, between colleagues of diverse backgrounds, and with various stakeholders in the publishing process. Addressing these situations effectively requires emotional intelligence, clear communication. Some potential talking points may be empathy, and strategies for de-escalating conflicts.

The call will also provide space to enable participants to share how they are feeling around political environments they find themselves and their organisations operating in.

• Can you share an example of a challenging interpersonal situation you or someone you know encountered in the workplace? How did you/they approach it, and what did you/they learn?
• Have you ever witnessed or experienced misunderstandings due to cultural or linguistic differences? How was the situation resolved?
• What strategies have you found useful for understanding another person’s perspective, especially when there’s tension?
• How do you navigate the balance between asserting your viewpoint and being open to others’ feedback?
• What skills do you think are essential for handling difficult conversations, and how do you develop them?
• How can we encourage more open dialogue in situations that might feel tense or uncomfortable?
• How do you address interpersonal issues that may involve power imbalances, such as those between junior and senior colleagues?
• How can diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives impact the ways we handle interpersonal challenges?
• What role can leadership play in fostering an environment where difficult conversations can be handled with respect and empathy?
• How can organizations support individuals in developing the skills needed for these types of interactions?

Participants will have breakout room discussions around any aspect of this topic they wish to bring and we will come together for the last part of the call to hear key takeaways.

If you are a COP member you will receive the Zoom link ahead of the call. If you have not yet joined the COP then – learn more here on how to join the community. We have bimonthly calls looking at topics suggested by community members and a discussion group for asynchronous communication.

You can find previous DEIA Community of Practice Call Summaries here.

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Webinar Recording: Women Leaders in Scholarly Publishing: Empowering Self and Inspiring Others

Date and Time: Thursday, October 24, 2024
11:00 (Eastern) | 08:00 (Pacific) | 17:00 (CET) | 16:00 (BST) 

The field of scholarly publishing faces significant challenges related to DEIA, and gender is one critical dimension that demands attention. While women are in many roles within publishing, there are too few leading publishing houses. Improvement is needed, and this session focuses on the role of women in leadership. In an area where we know gender disparities persist, it is heartening to recognize that women are at the forefront, leading the way in various roles.

Our speakers occupy key leadership positions across different domains within scholarly publishing. We cordially invite you to join us to engage with this panel of women leaders. Our primary goal is to inspire and empower others within the industry by sharing experiences and insights. We hope to encourage more women to follow in these remarkable footsteps.

Moderated by Anjana Sankara Narayanan, Acquisitions Editor, Standards, ASCE

Speakers: Roohi Ghosh, Ambassador, Researcher Outreach, Engagement, and Success, Cactus Communications, Sarah Phibbs, STM’s Director of Research4Life Publisher Partnerships, Mia Ricci, Director, Publications Operations, American Geophysical Union (AGU) and Simone Taylor, Chief of Publishing Operations, American Psychiatric Association

Full information and registration

The next C4DISC Community of Practice call will be on October 10, 2024 at 11 am Eastern / 4 pm UK.
Time converter link.

The theme this time is AI – the aim of this session is to introduce AI in relation to DEIA and have a very broad discussion about the impact on publishing and the opportunities and challenges that the rise of AI brings.

Some potential talking points may be –

• What is your understanding of AI and its current capabilities in publishing?
• Has your company introduced an AI policy?
• Have you been provided with any resources or training on AI or ethical guidelines on AI use?
• What are the practical implications and applications of AI within publishing?
• How can this advance DEI practices and increase representation?
• How is AI entrenching bias?
• Are there any emerging strategies or best practice polices when incorporating AI tools?
• What are some of the clear opportunities?
• What are some of the biggest challenges?
• How might AI impact the roles and skills required in the publishing industry?

Participants will have breakout room discussions around any aspect of this topic they wish to bring and we will come together for the last part of the call to hear key takeaways.

If you are a COP member you will receive the Zoom link ahead of the call. If you have not yet joined the COP then – learn more here on how to join the community. We have bimonthly calls looking at topics suggested by community members and a discussion group for asynchronous communication.

The last Community call reflected on calls so far. You can find previous DEIA Community of Practice Call Summaries here.

Produced by the Society for Scholarly Publishing Mental Health Task Force

Date and Time: 5 September  – 11:00 (Eastern) | 08:00 (Pacific) | 17:00 (CET) | 16:00 (BST)

We do our best work when we can bring our full selves to the job. When we feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes without fear of humiliation or punishment, we’re more likely to find satisfaction at work and—in turn—to perform better. These ideas are central to the concept of psychological safety, and fostering that safety is key in building a productive, fulfilling work environment.

Join us to gain a detailed understanding of psychological safety at work: what it looks like, why it matters, and how to facilitate it. We’ll discuss how individuals within various levels in an organization’s structure can contribute, how to address psychologically unsafe environments, and how a DEI-informed approach can support an organization’s goals around inclusivity.

Moderated by Sarah Bay, Scientific Editor and Program Manager, Genetics Society of America

Speakers: Alisa C.D. Clark, Head of DEI for Cell Press, Elsevier and Dennis P. Stolle Senior Director of Applied Psychology, American Psychological Association

Free registration and full information

C4DISC is delighted to announce the launch of this valuable new resource in the growing C4DISC Toolkit for Equity Series: A Focused Toolkit for Journal Editors and Publishers: Building Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Editorial Roles and Peer Review (https://c4disc.pubpub.org/toolkit-editors-and-publishers)

This new toolkit aims to support all those seeking to build a more inclusive editorial and reviewer community. The toolkit recommends practical and relevant actions for editors and publishers to take to create broad representation on editorial boards and to ensure fairness and minimization of bias in the peer review process.

Five major recommendations are explored:

1) Actions to develop an inclusive culture and mission
2) Steps on collecting and reporting demographic data to guide goal setting and actions to increase diversity
3) Recruiting broadly and intentionally to increase participation from marginalized communities
4) Creating opportunities for experience and growing skills in core scholarship areas
5) Actions based on resources such as bias-free language guidelines and more equitable peer review models to increase equity in the peer review process.

Translations of this toolkit in Spanish and Portuguese will be coming soon.

The original idea for this toolkit came from the Outreach Subcommittee of the Society for Scholarly Publishing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee. Thanks are due to the subcommittee members, to all the volunteers who worked so hard to realize this valuable resource, and especially to Susan Harris and Shaina Lange, who led the creation of the toolkit.