In this talk, Gaurev Pathania, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (Eastern Mennonite University), speaks about the often overlooked category of caste as a global form of discrimination. Anubhav Pradhan, COPE Council Member, hosts this talk and discussion.
This discussion is one of eleven sessions hosted by COPE during Publication Integrity Week 2023.
Equitable partnerships
Publishers and editors are in positions of power in knowledge production and must be mindful of how their actions could exclude caste discourse and other categories with which it connects, such as race, gender, and class. They should balance the need for diversity (on editorial boards, among reviewers, and among authors), with the need to uphold critical thinking.
To counter this we should engage actively with people affected by caste discrimination, to take action to prevent disadvantage when English is not the first language, and to be proactive in achieving fairness in scholarly publishing. Failure to do so can create harm and perpetuate assumptions about caste.
A culture of inclusion
Questions from the audience indicate that providing help with written English can be time-consuming, but is necessary to achieve a culture of inclusion. Discrimination can also operate in the selection of reviewers. Advice on the use of specific descriptors and categories should be taken from the groups affected. A positive step towards equity could be inviting covering letters which detail any challenges faced by the author.
Further reading
- Countering helicopter research with equitable partnerships The Lancet
- Helicopter research and ethics dumping Nature
Related COPE resources
- Diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility COPE Commentary, September 2023
- Diversifying editorial boards COPE article 2021
- Login to your account or register
to post comments