Promoting Equity in Research and Publishing

Equity is a matter of fairness in relation to the just distribution of resources. It does not imply absolute equality, but it does imply equality of opportunity. These tips were developed over time in consultation with Fellows and other stakeholders and may be taken as an indication of values that inform the collective work of the HESI SDG Publishers Compact Fellows. They are designed to be succinct and accessible to help promote good practice in sustainability and trigger further discussion on how best to improve equity and promote SDGs in academic publishing and research. We recognize that equity is hard to define and that these tips are neither exhaustive nor definitive. For instance, they do not address wide-ranging equity issues in higher education (as researched by UNESCO and others), advise publishers on policies relatingto open access or other issues with commercial implications, address the full range of issues relating to disability, diversity and inclusion, or consider implications of AI across the whole publishing ecosystem.