The global inclusivity
report 2022

Introduction

Conflicts, relentless climate change and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are widening inequalities, setting back progress on poverty, healthcare, education, the environment, and peace and security. In The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022, the United Nations warn that the vision set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is now at risk. It calls for urgent action to safeguard the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the difference they will make to our world.

The SDGs promise to leave no one behind, to reduce inequalities and promote peaceful and inclusive societies. Academic research has a valuable role to play in helping our world succeed in creating an inclusive and sustainable future for all. As the global research community works for these goals, we must also turn attention closer to home and examine what we can do to make our sector fairer and more inclusive.

In this report, we examine inclusion through the lens of academics and the difference it can make to them personally, their workplace and their research. We also look at what action publishers can take to further diversity and inclusion.

Diversity and inclusion benefit individuals, teams, organisations and society. When organisations invest in diversity and inclusion their teams perform better and are more engaged. Companies with strong diversity and inclusion practices are also more likely to achieve better financial returns and have 5.4 times higher employee retention.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are high on the agenda in academia and there is demand for real progress on the ground. The 2020 Wellcome Report on ‘What Researchers Think About Research Culture’ revealed a culture that was hurting, with more than half (53%) of researchers reported to have sought, or wanted to seek, professional help for depression or anxiety. The report highlighted concerns over insecure contracts, aggressive competition and bullying and harassment, and recommended changes within funding structures and incentives, along with support for early career researchers.

In our Global Inclusivity Report 2022, we ask researchers their thoughts on inclusion and their experiences of discrimination in order to understand key trends, highlight the root causes and the challenges that need to be overcome.

Next: Who cares about inclusion?