Contribute to guidelines for enhancing diversity and inclusion in research software-related events and/or projects

[dr-eric-jensen]

Potential Activity Scope
Contributing to guidelines for enhancing diversity and inclusion in research software-related events and/or projects is aimed at fostering an environment where all participants, regardless of their background, feel welcomed, respected, and valued.

Understanding diversity and inclusion in the context of research software events and/or projects involves recognizing various dimensions such as gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, education, and socio-economic status. Inclusion refers to the active engagement with these diverse perspectives.

An assessment of current practices within research software-related events and/or projects is essential, examining how diversity and inclusion are addressed, identifying gaps, and understanding unique challenges and opportunities.

Engagement with various stakeholders such as event and/or project organizers, participants, community leaders, and diversity and inclusion experts is crucial. Their insights will inform the development of practical guidelines.

The creation of guidelines outlines clear principles, strategies, and actions to enhance diversity and inclusion. This includes recommendations on recruitment, program design, communication strategies, accessibility provisions, and feedback mechanisms, all tailored to the specific needs of research software events and/or projects.

Incorporating best practices and evidence-based approaches ensures that the guidelines are actionable. Cultural sensitivity must be embedded, recognizing that diversity and inclusion may be understood differently across various contexts.

Support for implementation may include training, resources, mentorship, and ongoing consultation to assist event and/or project organizers in putting the guidelines into practice.

Monitoring and evaluation are essential, with clear metrics and indicators, regular assessments, and necessary adjustments to ensure continuous improvement.

Dissemination and advocacy of the guidelines within the research software community and beyond foster a collective commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Alignment with broader initiatives and frameworks related to diversity and inclusion could help enhance coherence with other efforts in this space.

One specific way to contribute in this way is via the DISCOVER event cookbook and/or the cookbook for software projects, working with NumFOCUS's DISC.

Potential Objectives

• To understand the various dimensions of diversity and inclusion within the context of research software events and/or projects, recognizing aspects such as gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, education, and socio-economic status.
• To assess current practices within research software-related events and/or projects, identifying how diversity and inclusion are addressed, pinpointing gaps, and understanding unique challenges and opportunities.
• To engage with stakeholders including event and/or project organizers, participants, community leaders, and diversity and inclusion experts, gathering insights to inform practical guidelines.
• To create guidelines that outline clear principles, strategies, and actions to enhance diversity and inclusion, including tailored recommendations for recruitment, program design, communication strategies, accessibility provisions, and feedback mechanisms.
• To incorporate best practices and evidence-based approaches, ensuring actionable guidelines with embedded cultural sensitivity.
• To provide support for implementation through training, resources, mentorship, and ongoing consultation.
• To disseminate and advocate the guidelines within the research software community and beyond, to the extent feasible.
• To align with broader initiatives and frameworks related to diversity and inclusion, enhancing coherence with other efforts in the field.

Targeted Impacts

• Coalescing enhanced understanding of the multifaceted nature of diversity and inclusion within research software events and/or projects, leading to more informed and empathetic practices.
• Identification of gaps and opportunities in current practices, enabling targeted interventions and improvements.
• Increased collaboration and engagement with diverse stakeholders, enriching the guidelines with varied perspectives and experiences.
• Development of evidence-based, actionable guidelines, providing a roadmap for enhancing diversity and inclusion across research software events and/or projects.
• Integration of cultural sensitivity and evidence-based approaches, ensuring that the guidelines are relevant and effective across different contexts (or that the guidance is bounded to particular contexts).
• Overall, positive movement towards a more inclusive, equitable, and vibrant research software community (underpinned by more inclusive events and/or projects), where diversity is celebrated, and all participants feel welcomed, respected, and valued.

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This potential activity was curated as part of ""Charting the Course: Policy and Planning for Sustainable Research Software,"" a Sloan Foundation-funded project within URSSI dedicated to supporting the future of research software through evidence-informed policy work (Project contacts are: @danielskatz and @dr-eric-jensen). If you are interested in working on this, please add a comment.