“As an anti-racist employer and a leading voice in global medicine and health, we strongly oppose racism and support equity, diversity and inclusion because more equal societies are healthier societies.
The active stance we take on supporting social justice translates beyond our people into the work we do with customers and partners.
As an established publisher, we understand the role journals need to – and can – play in creating a more positive, equitable, diverse and inclusive environment for women and underrepresented groups in research, clinical practice and scholarly publishing.
Equity, diversity and inclusion at BMJ Group
Being clear on what we expect from our editors and their teams begins as early as the peer review process. It continues through to the way we monitor the diversity of our editorial boards to ensure they reflect the communities we serve.
Our approach to the way we give authors and researchers support to have their work published remains the same, regardless of their sex, gender, race or ethnicity, first language, sexual orientation, religion, beliefs, disability status, age, status, nationality or citizenship.
That approach is one that serves to dismantle the barriers that have previously prevented women and underrepresented groups from being published, having a voice or advancing their careers.
The work we do with our editors has firm measures in place to limit the effect of unconscious bias. Our editors are encouraged to consider EDI throughout the commissioning and selection process.
A commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion for BMJ Group
BMJ Group have the ability to stand up for equity, diversity, and inclusion in research, clinical practice, and scholarly communication—and the responsibility to do so For over 200 years, academic journals have been the gatekeepers of scientific research publication, the means by which researchers receive recognition for their work and the conduit for research to inform clinical practice. The BMJ has a 170-year history that stretches back to a time when US and European men primarily dominated research and clinical practice, and there was little room for diversity.
While we may tell ourselves that “times have changed” and the world is now much more equitable, this is not what the evidence tells us. The vast majority of editors of the top-cited medical journals are straight, white, men based in Europe and the US and research conducted by women in top-cited medical journals receive fewer citations. The BMJ’s “racism in medicine” special issue highlighted the perpetuating bias in every aspect of medicine, from the discrimination faced by junior and trainee doctors, to obvious racial disparities in patient outcomes.
There is also obviously still injustice in the research to publication cycle. Journals cannot simply state that they can only publish what they receive and are therefore immune to bias and prejudice. Journals consist of curations of scholarly content and published articles are passed through editorial and peer review processes: people are involved in these processes and everyone carries their own inherent bias. BMJ Group now recognises the role that journals and editors play in perpetuating the cycle of injustice in research and scholarly communication and we have outlined how we are actively working to tackle racism and injustice and support equity diversity, and inclusion in all of our journals. [Read more]
Being clear on what we expect from our editors and their teams begins as early as the peer review process. It continues through to the way we monitor the diversity of our editorial boards to ensure they reflect the communities we serve.
Our approach to the way we give authors and researchers support to have their work published remains the same, regardless of their sex, gender, race or ethnicity, first language, sexual orientation, religion, beliefs, disability status, age, status, nationality or citizenship.
That approach is one that serves to dismantle the barriers that have previously prevented women and underrepresented groups from being published, having a voice or advancing their careers.
The work we do with our editors has firm measures in place to limit the effect of unconscious bias. Our editors are encouraged to consider EDI throughout the commissioning and selection process.
Diversity leads to better research
#PublishingEquality | As an organisation, we united with our fellow publishers to make research publishing more inclusive and diverse. We signed an agreement to take a proactive stance against bias, as we commit to working together to better reflect the diversity of their communities and to remove barriers for under-represented groups.
The joint agreement impacts scholarly publishing on a global scale, having been initiated by the Royal Society of Chemistry and signed by the American Chemical Society (ACS), BMJ Group, Cambridge University Press, the Company of Biologists, Emerald Publishing, Elsevier, Hindawi, IOP Publishing, Oxford University Press and the Royal Society. We are also engaging with more publishers to form a working group to collaborate on further actions to improve inclusion and diversity in publishing.
Yet our work continues
Everything, from the way we interact with authors, reviewers and editors, to the way we conduct our daily business, is being scrutinised to ensure we provide a fairer and more inclusive service for everyone.
We are doing this to create better ways to disseminate important research and help us move toward a world in which our sector can fully benefit from the work of everyone, regardless of their gender, sex, cultural position, or religious beliefs.
