The Language Barrier as Part of Editorial Policies on Diversity and Inclusion

Abstract

In scientific publications, as well as in society in general, the role of intentional and unintentional bias has deserved increasing attention. Prejudices based on ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, education, institutional environment, career status, sexual orientation, language, etc. have been a concern for scientific editors. This bias can manifest itself in several stages of the editorial process, but the moments of submission and peer review are particularly sensitive.The appreciation of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has been essential to promoting equitable actions ensuring diversity in various areas, including geographic, linguistic and cultural. These conditions favour the inclusion of new perspectives in the field of study represented by this diversity.The American Psychological Association (APA, 2021) produced a didactic paper on inclusive language for the promotion of DEI. Among many terms, it describes oppression (related to the power and privilege used to dominate the other, maintaining inequality) and privilege (it does not occur on merit, but by inserting it into a system that normalizes the fact, ensuring, to some, power, such as rights, benefits, opportunities, etc.).In Brazil, the Brazilian Association of Scientific Editors (ABEC) has also taken the initiative to raise awareness among scientific editors of the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA).ABEC Brasil has created a webpage for the presentation of guidelines and has promoted scientific meetings on this topic (https://www.abecbrasil.org.br/novo/espaco-deia/).The document "Criteria, policy and procedures for the inclusion and permanence of journals in the SciELO Brazil Collection" includes, in its latest recently published version, the promotion of the DEIA Principles throughout the research process and its communication. In addition to reiterating SciELO Brazil's commitment to these principles and recommending that journals follow them, it is now mandatory that they include an "explicitness of promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in management and operation" (SciELO Brasil, 2022, p. 16), and considers diversity, equity and inclusion in the composition of the editors' team in the journal's evaluation. This document stresses that multilingualism is an expression of diversity and inclusion. Although it is actively promoting events focused on this theme, the difficulties in the implementation of these guidelines are not mentioned in this text.Although much is being discussed and actions are being initiated, as shown by the guidelines mentioned, there is no deepening in the relationship of the Brazilian non-English-speaking researcher with texts and lectures in English.The theme has relevance, since the scientific quality of an article depends on a previous literature review, including recent citations in journals indexed in the best databases, usually published in English. Despite all the efforts of the editorial team of the Brazilian Journal of Psychodrama to increase the qualit...