Re iewing o gende equali y
Scien i ic publica ions a e he co ne s one o academic alida ion, ca ee ad ancemen , and he shaping o esea ch
discou se. Howe e , he con en ional publishing p ocess has o en o e looked he impo ance o gende sensi i i y.
Embedding gende analysis in o e e y s age o esea ch and publica ion no only helps mi iga e biases and disc imina ion
bu also en iches scien i ic inqui y by inco po a ing di e se pe spec i es. This b ie p esen s a se o guidelines om
MIND heGEPs ha ha e been de eloped o ans o m he app oach o gende in academic publishing, ensu ing ha
e e y s age o he esea ch p ocess is bo h inclusi e and equi able.
By p io i izing gende -sensi i e esea ch design, inclusi e
language, and di e se e alua i e p ac ices, academic
ins i u ions and publishe s can d i e sys emic change ha
leads o mo e obus , equi able, and inno a i e scien i ic
ou comes. These guidelines aim o help e ame he way
gende is conside ed in academic publishing, mo ing
beyond oken acknowledgemen owa d a sys ema ic
app oach ha in eg a es gende conside a ions in o
esea ch ques ions, me hodologies, and he communica ion
o indings.
Who is his o ?
These ecommenda ions a e designed o a wide ange
o s akeholde s in academia, emphasizing he impo ance
o a holis ic app oach o gende equali y in esea ch
p ac ices:
•S uden s & ea ly-ca ee esea che s: o cul i a e
gende -awa eness in esea ch p ac ices om he
ou se .
•Senio esea che s & educa o s: o in eg a e
gende sensi i i y in o cu icula and men o ing.
•Edi o s & e iewe s: o ensu e ai ness, di e si y,
and inclusi i y in esea ch e alua ion.
•Gende equali y educa o s and aine s: o
de elopcou ses, esou ces, and ins i u ional aining
p og ams.
•Resea ch ins i u ions, unding bodies and
policymake s: o d i e sys emic changes h ough
educa ion, policy, and suppo o gende equali y in
esea ch.
mind hegeps.eu
Le e aging scien i ic publishing o sys emic change
In May 2023, he MIND heGEPs conso ium,
alongside in i ed key s akeholde s, conduc ed a
wo kshop o assess exis ing gende -sensi i e
publishing guidelines. This b ie is based on he
esul s o ha wo kshop. Discussions highligh ed
se e al a eas o imp o emen , wi h a ocus on
making guidelines mo e p ac ical, ac ionable, and
applicable ac oss di e en academic disciplines.
Ci e as: San inhos M, Balzano A, Colaiacomo C,
Kosakowska-Be ezecka N, Rose a F, Sole a C &
Żadkowska M (2025). Re iewing o gende
equali y: Le e aging scien i ic publishing o sys emic
change. Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15129220
To ensu e ha gende sensi i i y is deeply in eg a ed in o he scien i ic publishing p ocess, he ecommenda ions a e
g ouped in o ou a ge a eas. This g ouping add esses he speci ic needs o each s akeholde in ol ed in esea ch and
publica ion.
Ea ly exposu e o gende -sensi i e p ac ices os e s awa eness and builds he ounda ion o inclusi e esea ch.
• Gende -sensi i i y aining. In eg a e aining in o MA and PhD p og ammes o help s uden s unde s and he
in luence o sex and gende in esea ch.
• Inclusi e e e encing. P omo e ci a ion p ac ices ha e lec gende di e si y and a oid ein o cing s e eo ypes.
• Accessible lea ning ools. De elop ideo u o ials, in og aphics, and in e ac i e esou ces ha clea ly explain he
p inciples and bene i s o gende ing scien i ic publica ions.
Key ecommenda ions o ac ion: ou a ge s
Ta ge 1: S uden s and ea ly-ca ee esea che s
Senio academics shape esea ch cul u e and in luence eme ging esea che s, making hei engagemen essen ial.
• Manda o y cou ses and su eys. Implemen cou ses and su eys o assess and enhance gende awa eness among
acul y membe s.
• Pee suppo ne wo ks. Encou age collabo a ion and appoin gende ambassado s o lead ini ia i es.
• Ea ly in eg a ion. In oduce gende publishing guidelines a he onse o academic aining o shape u u e esea ch
p ac ices om he e y beginning.
Ta ge 2: Senio esea che s and educa o s
Edi o s and e iewe s a e ga ekeepe s o scien i ic knowledge. Thei p ac ices in luence ai ness and inclusi i y in publishing.
• Acc edi a ion o gende e iewe s. Recognize and acc edi gende e iewe s o ensu e di e si y and inclusi i y in
he e iew p ocess.
• Re iewe di e si y. Implemen il e ing sys ems in e iewe da abases o include a ange o backg ounds ( o
example: gende , geog aphy, disabili y) and ensu e a balanced e alua ion.
• T anspa en e iew p ac ices. Enable e iewe s o access esea ch eam composi ions o be e assess and mi iga e
po en ial biases.
Ta ge 3: Edi o s and e iewe s
These educa o s p omo e sys emic change by aising awa eness and p o iding ools o challenge biases.
• C edi ed cou ses on biases. De elop and o e cou ses ha add ess implici biases and gende issues in di e en
scien i ic disciplines.
• Public ou each and accessible communica ion. U ilise podcas s, blogs and o he media o dissemina e gende -
sensi i e guidelines widely, making con en accessible o a b oad audience.
• Visible ole models. In i e keyno e speake s, especially om STEM ields, o se e as ole models and inspi e sys emic
change in esea ch p ac ices.
Ta ge 4: Gende equali y educa o s
Guidelines o gende ing he scien i ic publishing p ocess
These o e a ching guidelines complemen he ou a ge a eas by p o iding ac ionable p inciples applicable ac oss all
s ages o esea ch and publica ion. They ensu e gende sensi i i y is embedded sys ema ically, om design o dissemina ion.
• Educa ion and aining. Embed acc edi ed gende -sensi i i y aining in o esea ch and eaching amewo ks.
• Inclusi e language and ep esen a ion. Ad oca e o he use o unbiased e minology and equi able au ho ship
p ac ices.
• Di e si y in pee e iew. Encou age inclusi e selec ion o e iewe s and anspa en e alua ion p ac ices ha
accoun o he esea ch eam’s composi ion.
• Accessible communica ion. Use isual ools, such as in og aphics and QR codes campaigns, along wi h podcas s
and blogs o inc ease engagemen wi h guidelines.
• Con inuous moni o ing. Es ablish mechanisms o ongoing assessmen o he impac and e ec i eness o gende -
sensi i e p ac ices in publishing.
”Encou age inclusi e selec ion o e iewe s and anspa en e alua ion
p ac ices ha accoun o he esea ch eam’s composi ion.”
mind hegeps.eu
MIND heGEPs (Modi ying Ins i u ions by De eloping Gende Equali y Plans) has ecei ed unding om he
Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020 esea ch and inno a ion p og amme unde g an ag eemen no 101006543.
The iews and opinions exp essed in his policy b ie he sole esponsibili y o he au ho s and do no necessa ily
e lec he iews o he Eu opean Commission.
S akeholde engagemen
Collabo a e wi h academic ins i u ions, publishe s, and unding
bodies and policymake s o d i e b oad-based adop ion o gende -
sensi i e p ac ices.
Resou ce de elopmen
C ea e comp ehensi e aining modules, oolki s, and discipline-
speci ic guidelines ha a e bo h use - iendly and adap able.
Implemen a ion s a egies
Embed gende ing guidelines in o uni e si y cu icula and jou nal
policies o ins i u ionalize hese p ac ices.
Moni o ing and e alua ion
De elop clea p og ess indica o s and es ablish egula e alua ion
mechanisms o measu e he impac o implemen ed ini ia i es.
Knowledge sha ing
Dissemina e bes p ac ices and success s o ies ia con e ences,
wo kshops and online pla o ms o os e a communi y commi ed
o gende equi y in esea ch
© MIND heGEPs 2025.
This b ie was published unde a
C ea i e Commons 4.0 A ibu ions
In e na ional license.
Nex s eps: mo ing om awa eness o ac ion
To ansla e awa eness in o conc e e change, s a egic ac ions a e equi ed a mul iple le els. These nex s eps p o ide
a clea pa h o implemen ing he guidelines, os e ing collabo a ion and sus aining momen um o gende equali y in
scien i ic publishing.
This policy b ie builds on
San inhos, Miguel., Colaiacomo, Claudio., Rose a, Fede ica., Żadkowska, Magdalena., Kosakowska-Be ezecka,
Na asza., Balzano, Angela., & Sole a, C is ina. (2024). D6.4 – Gende ing Scien i ic Publica ions Guidelines.
Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10591871
