Retrogressing Research and Limiting Diversity: The Impact of the Pandemic on Scholarly Publishing's Inequities

The disparate effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on historically marginalized communities have underscored the inequities that have long existed within the scientific research and publishing industries. International researchers' work and lives have been upended by limitations on travel and visas (European Commission, 2020), while primary caregivers (whose roles overwhelmingly fall to women) balancing caregiving duties with remote research and academic priorities are publishing and reviewing less often (Cochran, 2020). Meanwhile, libraries from historically underfunded institutions (including historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, or community colleges) will be faced with further strained university budgets in the coming years. This panel session will address these and other inequities by presenting research and perspectives from several organizations working to address COVID-19's effects on scholarly communications. Panelists will include an international researcher, a publisher measuring the COVID-19 gender gap in authorship and reviewership, and a librarian from a historically underfunded institution. The session will also include a roundtable discussion among the participants, outlining potential solutions and resources for reducing such inequities. Presented by SSP's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Learning Level: Mixed-Learning