Increasing Diversity of Editorial Boards: A Literature Review and Case Study Analysis

Increasing Diversity of Editorial Boards: A Literature Review and Case Study Analysis

Tammy Brodie, Editorial and Peer Review Coordinator, The American Association for Thoracic Surgery Elizabeth Brown, Editorial Coordinator, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

Initiatives to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become paramount to the growth and success of scientific journals. This session will explore DEI in scholarly publishing, presenting our research concerning the diversity of various journal editorial boards through a literature review and two case studies. We’ll discuss common factor(s) of diversity and methodologies from a variety of discipline-specific journals, and report on our case studies comparing the current diversity of the two editorial boards, which agreed to be used as case studies for this presentation. We’ll discuss learning outcomes from our research and propose potential next steps that scientific journals and the wider scholarly publishing field can take to spur widespread diversification of editorial boards.

Tammy Brodie graduated with an M.A. in publishing from Emerson College in 2022, with her thesis focusing on West African Publishing and digital accessibility. She has been involved in scholarly communications for the past four years and currently works as an Editorial and Peer Review Coordinator for the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). In 2024, she was awarded the Society for Scholarly Publishing Early Career Fellowship. Her interests in scholarly communications include open access, DEI, and accessibility and distribution. She also serves as a board member for the environmental organization, Salem Sound Coastwatch. Tammy lives in Beverly, MA where she can be found running on the beach and traveling with her camera.

Ellie Brown is from Boston, MA and currently resides in Washington, DC. She graduated with a B.A. in History from McGill University in June 2021 shortly before beginning her career in scholarly publishing at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). During her tenure at the journal, Ellie has been an active member of PNAS’s Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and was honored with the 2022 Rookie Award in recognition of her commitment to improving journal processes and outcomes. Ellie currently serves on SSP’s Career Development Committee as part of her SSP Early-Career Fellowship. In her free time, Ellie enjoys reading cozy historical mysteries, practicing yoga, and embarking on new cross-stitch projects.