As part of the Coalition for Diversity & Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) community, we affirm the C4DISC principles and its mission to:

●      eliminate barriers to participation, extend equitable opportunities across all stakeholders, and ensure that our practices and policies promote equitable treatment and do not allow, condone, or result in discrimination;

●      create and maintain an environment that respects diverse traditions, heritages, and experiences;

●      promote diversity in all staff, volunteers, and audiences, including full participation in programs, policy formulation, and decision-making;

●      raise awareness about career opportunities in our industry to groups who are currently underrepresented in the workforce;

●      support our community in achieving diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within their organizations.

The C4DISC principles have now been adopted by 160 organizations, and the coalition is supported by over 40 members and partners.

In principle and in practice, collectively, C4DISC member and partner organizations value and seek accessibility, diversity, and equitable and inclusive practices within the scholarly communications ecosystem. Our goal is to promote involvement, innovation, and expanded access to leadership opportunities that maximize engagement across identity groups and professional levels. Identity groups include and are not limited to:

●      ability/disability

●      age

●      appearance

●      citizenship status

●      ethnicity

●      family and other caring responsibilities

●      gender and gender identity

●      genetic information

●      geographic location

●      military/veteran status

●      nationality/national origin or tribal membership

●      political beliefs

●      pregnancy/parental status

●      professional career/education level

●      race/color

●      religion/belief/value system

●      sex

●      sexual orientation

●      socio-economic background/social class

Collectively we will continue to provide leadership and commit time and resources to accomplish these objectives, while serving as a model to our members and to individuals and organizations engaged in ensuring accessibility, diversity, and equitable and inclusive practices.

Definitions

Accessibility enables everyone—whether or not they have a disability— to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services in an equally integrated and equally effective manner. Organizations shall take appropriate measures to ensure access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to all. 

Diversityrefers to the composition of a group of people from any number of demographic backgrounds: identities (innate and selected); the collective strength of their experiences, beliefs, values, skills, and perspectives; and the historical and ongoing ways in which these groups have been affected by structures of power. The variability in a diverse group is apparent in the characteristics we see and hear, as well as through behaviors and expressions that we encounter and experience in our workplaces and organizations. Diverse organizations are not by default inclusive.

Equity ensures that all individuals are provided the resources and support they need to access opportunities available to their peers.

Inclusionis the act of establishing philosophies, policies, practices, and procedures to ensure equitable access to opportunities and resources that support individuals in contributing to an organization’s success. Through encouraging awareness of power structures, creating opportunities for those who have historically been excluded, and attempting to decenter majority culture, inclusion creates the environment and infrastructure in which diversity within organizations can exist and thrive. Inclusive organizations are by definition committed to achieving a sense of belonging for everyone at all levels.