About this Research Topic

Background

This Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science Research Topic welcomes papers on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the international space physics community.

Demographics of the space physics research community have been documented by the American Geophysical Union and the American Astronomical Society. The membership in these societies is dominated by white men. While these demographics are beginning to slowly change thanks to targeted efforts by select programs, significant progress has not been achieved. The field of space physics needs ongoing, intentional interventions to become a community that more accurately reflects all of humanity.

In order to achieve and, more importantly, sustain a diverse environment where all members of the research community can thrive, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or any other discerning factor, we must nurture an inclusive, welcoming and respectful research culture. There are innumerous aspects to the research environment that result in high attrition rates of minority researchers. This is a worldwide problem that is the responsibility of every member of the space physics research community to address. Deep rooted, systemic biases, both implicit and explicit, are present throughout the research field of space physics and can result in dramatically different experiences for minority researchers as compared to their majority counterparts. Longstanding systemic biases have led to differences in how groups are treated within a society, such as inequitable service expectations, and therefore tackling the issue of structural equity is necessary to sustain diversity and inclusion within an organization or community.

There are several goals of this Research Topic. They include:

1. Review the current understanding of DEI in the scholarly literature, including best practices from our or other research communities and documentation of the problem of bias, exclusion and inequity impacting the space physics community around the world.
2. Document and evaluate past and present activities regarding DEI carried out by members of the international space physics research community in different environments and cultures, whether positive or negative in outcome.
3. Assemble suggestions for future actions that could be undertaken by space physicists in the area of DEI, at any level from local to global engagement.

Submissions are therefore welcome from members of the space physics community that address opportunities offered by increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion from a variety of angles. The scope encompasses papers that conduct statistical or narrative descriptions of the state of the international space physics community and its present culture, including demographics, interpersonal interactions, and organizational standards. It also includes papers that describe policies, processes, interventions, and actions that have yielded – or could yield – improvement in one or more aspects of DEI for the space physics community. Personal stories and advice derived from those anecdotes are also welcome.

Within this collection we welcome submissions of the following paper types:
· Perspectives: a viewpoint on a specific topic, discussing current advances and future directions with a clear presentation of the authors’ perspective and outlook. (<3K words, B-type fee)
· Opinions:(<2K words, C-type fee) to contribute viewpoints on the interpretation of recent findings, values of the methods used, as well as weaknesses and strengths to encourage constructive discussion.
· Review articles: both full length (12K words, A-type) and Mini reviews (<3K words, B-type)

All submissions will be subject to peer review. We welcome abstract submission ahead of article submission, or authors may contact the Guest Editors directly to discuss your ideas/suggestions, or simply submit your manuscript when it is ready.

Keywords: Equity, inclusion, DEI, Space Physics, diversity

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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