Diversity in peer review: the results are in

A survey of 391 members of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) community has revealed that diversity and inclusion are important in peer review, particularly in terms of area of expertise (88%), gender (77%), race/ethnicity (74%), and age (66%).

Of 384 respondents, 71% said their employer or publication “values diverse involvement and opinions in its peer review process”, yet only 37% “has achieved an ideal level of diversity in its peer reviewer pool”.

The survey revealed policies and training surrounding diversity and inclusion were generally lacking. COPE will use the results and available resources to hold further discussions and guide their members on this issue.