The Office of Scholarly Communication at the University of California seeks to provide resources to help the UC community navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving landscape for sharing and publishing scholarly research. One such complexity, which can take many forms, is the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in scholarly communication. This resource, endorsed by UC Academic Council and the University Committee on Library and Scholarly Communication, explores the following questions:
- Who has access to publishing opportunities?
- Who is reviewing manuscripts and determining their worth and relevance to the field?
- Which disciplines and topics are given a voice within the scholarly record?
- What actions can stakeholders take to work toward more equitable and inclusive scholarly communication practices?
Supporting a diverse community of scholars and researchers is fundamental to the advancement of knowledge: distinct and varied perspectives broaden and strengthen our understanding of the world and position us to more fully and effectively engage with the major challenges of our time.
To learn more about how a lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion can limit publishing opportunities for researchers, and what you can do to help address these problems, select a stakeholder role below.
Some researchers are in a strong professional position to advocate for change, while others may feel less comfortable doing so. Learn where you might shift your own practices to create publishing opportunities for researchers and scholars from marginalized communities. This can be difficult and can carry different levels of risk. Be sure to check in with your community, find allies, and take care of yourself as you advocate for the kind of change you’d like to see.
View works cited in this resource.
Stakeholders Consulted in the Development of This Resource
Those of us who have worked on this resource recognize our own privilege and the limitations of our own experiences. See the About page for details.
We have drawn significantly on important work already underway within other scholarly communication-affiliated organizations. We have also sought guidance and feedback from stakeholders across the UC system, including underrepresented communities among our faculty, staff, and students; offices of diversity, equity, and inclusion that explicitly serve these communities; UC Academic Senate committees; university leadership; and campus libraries. We thank everyone who took the time to review this resource and provide feedback to help improve it.
We also acknowledge that the problem of inequity in scholarly communication lives within a broader set of issues, including differential institutional access to funding and resources, tenure and promotion practices, and research assessment.
Note on Accessibility
This resource does not address the topic of accessibility because the University of California already provides resources related to this issue at both the campus and systemwide level.
UC’s resources support adherence to federally mandated requirements for accessibility, including documentation on standards for web accessibility and best practices for creating accessible materials, transcripts and captioning, hiring, and procurement. Each UC campus also has an accessibility office with resources for personal accommodations and classroom tools.
Additionally, the Coalition for Diversity & Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) has a Toolkit for Disability Equity in Scholarly Communications that includes sections for disabled people, for managers, and for colleagues and peers.
Commitment to Improvement – Feedback Welcome
We are eager to learn more and always welcome feedback on this guide as well as recommendations for ways to expand or refine the resources available here. Please contact us with any thoughts or recommendations you may have: osc@ucop.edu.
Page updated: May 23, 2025
