Editor Training

Addressing Unconscious Bias

Unconscious bias (also known as implicit bias) occurs without deliberate effort in all of us, as the brain makes automatic judgements about situations and people by relying on stereotypes and often incorrect assumptions. In the research and publishing ecosystem, it can affect decisions about funding, hiring, promotion, collaboration, credit, recognition, and publication.

   editor+B

 english+C

time

Editor Resources

English

18 minutes

About this course

Unconscious bias occurs without intention in all of us, as the brain makes rapid, automatic judgements about people and circumstances by relying on stereotypes and often, incorrect assumptions. Unconscious bias can affect many decisions in the research and publishing environment, including editorial decisions about whom and what to publish, who we recruit as an author (co-author), reviewer or editorial board member. This course will introduce you to the issues and ways to address them.

Who should take this course?

This module is written for researchers who have roles as editors, peer reviewers or authors. It will be useful for anyone interested in understanding more about unconscious bias and how we may be able to address it.

What will I learn in this course?

In this short course, we will define unconscious bias specifically, what it is and why we all have it. We will also identify ways to counter unconscious bias, considering some of the ways we can challenge our own biases, break habits, be more inclusive, and make decisions more consciously.