Day: Wednesday, May 6, 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Room: TBD
How are we doing? Annual survey of University of Florida journal publishing program serves to educate and assess DEI practices
Presenters: Suzanne Cady Stapleton, University of Florida; Chelsea Johnston, University of Florida
Description: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a strategic direction of importance to the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries, throughout library services and activities. In 2019, the journal publishing team at the UF Libraries retooled its annual survey of publishing partners to explore the current status and understanding of DEI in scholarly publishing. The survey instrument served not only to assess current practice, but also to inform and educate responders on DEI practices. In the survey, DEI was broadly defined to include composition of contributors (authors, reviewers, editors) as well as content and format of published material. Questions in the survey included multiple choice, ranking, and open-ended responses for current and anticipated practices. A selection of questions were repeated from the 2018 survey to review trends over time. Results from both years indicate satisfaction with the ability to find the journal online (discoverability), journal usage, and archiving as well as the quality and promptness of the service team. Open-ended comments enabled nuanced responses, important for questions such as “In your opinion, what can editors and publishers do to reduce barriers faced by under-represented or marginalized scholars in academic publishing?” Survey results are shared with participants, while respecting privacy, and inform publishing program development. The survey introduced a number of DEI practices and considerations for journal publishers. Related topics were featured during the Libraries’ Publishers Round Table series before and after the survey was distributed. This annual assessment tool impacts the journal publishing program policies and educational programs, and guides development of future services.