How an IJES Working Group Grappled with the Complexities of Three Letters—DEI—With the Goal to Broaden Inclusion and Representation in Exercise Science Research

Authors

Dustin W. Davis, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Matthew J. Garver, University of Central MissouriFollow
Jafra Thomas, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoFollow
James W. Navalta, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Shannon Siegel, University of San FranciscoFollow
Joel D. Reece, Brigham Young University HawaiiFollow
Jill M. Maples, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Graduate School of Medicine, KnoxvilleFollow

Abstract

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(8): 852-860, 2024. A self-study of International Journal of Exercise Science (IJES) publications from 2008 through 2021 revealed a sex-data gap in participant and corresponding author representation. This finding prompted the creation of the IJES Working Group for Opportunity, Representation, and Diverse Perspectives. We are a collaborative team of authors, reviewers, and editors, spanning both rural and urban teaching- and research-focused institutions, who assembled regularly starting in September 2023. The goal was to contemplate potential challenges and opportunities around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), elicit discourse, and broaden inclusion and representation in exercise science research. Our group identified six main challenges/opportunities: 1) Mixed Definitions and Applications of DEI Principles; 2) Competing Lifeviews and Worldviews; 3) Oversight and Enforcement of DEI Principles in IJES; 4) Oversight and Enforcement of DEI Principles in the Broader Field; 5) IJES is a Home for Developing Scholars; and 6) Lag Time for Creating Change in IJES. As a growing international journal, we depend on a diverse group of authors, reviewers, editors, and readers to achieve our mission. Accordingly, the Working Group encourages impactful, inclusive research that broadens representation within exercise science.

Recommended Citation

Davis, Dustin W.; Garver, Matthew J.; Thomas, Jafra; Navalta, James W.; Siegel, Shannon; Reece, Joel D.; and Maples, Jill M. (2024) "How an IJES Working Group Grappled with the Complexities of Three Letters—DEI—With the Goal to Broaden Inclusion and Representation in Exercise Science Research," International Journal of Exercise Science: Vol. 17 : Iss. 8, Pages 852 - 860.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/vol17/iss8/3