Inequity in Peer Review in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Area of Science:

• Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD)
• Academic Publishing
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Background:

• The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) aims to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD).
• Critical faculty shortages exist in CSD, impacting the training of future practitioners and researchers.
• Scholarly publishing is crucial for faculty recruitment, retention, and advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address systemic inequities in peer review that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) scholars in CSD.
• To propose practical strategies for developing equitable peer-review practices.
• To examine the impact of peer review inequity on BIPOC authors and research involving BIPOC communities.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of ASHA constituent demographics, including those with research doctorates involved in peer review.
• Exploration of the peer-review process to identify potential sources of inequity.
• Presentation of real-world examples and a framework for equitable peer review.

Main Results:

• Peer review inequity can systematically disadvantage BIPOC scholars, creating barriers to academic success.
• Inequities in peer review have adverse, long-term effects on the recruitment, retention, and advancement of BIPOC faculty.
• Addressing inequity requires changes in editorial structures, board composition, and journal content.

Conclusions:

• Systemic and individual inequities in peer review negatively impact BIPOC authors in CSD.
• Achieving DEI goals necessitates integrating equity into all aspects of academic publishing within CSD.
• The challenges and proposed solutions are relevant to other academic disciplines beyond CSD.