Equity

Equity: The removal of systemic barriers and biases, enabling all individuals to have equal opportunity to access and benefit from the research system.

Prioritizing equity in your research:

• Learn about and describe biases and systemic barriers that may be experienced in your team, department, or discipline
• Understand the research goals or needs that may be experienced in your team, department, or discipline.
• Identify strategies that engage biases, barriers, goals, or needs. Explain how you will enhance team members or knowledge users capacity to:
  • Access;
  • Direct;
  • Participate;
  • Benefit from the research project or the broader research system.

Diversity

Diversity (functional): The ways of knowing, pedagogies, frameworks, outputs, and methodologies a researcher prioritizes.

Diversity (representational): The dimensions, qualities and characteristics each unique person represents.

Prioritizing diversity in your research:

• Consider the dominant approaches in your field and who or what perspectives may be excluded.
• Identify how you will incorporate a range of experiences and expertise in your research. Consider how your research can be spotlight equity-denied groups, in relation to:
  • Ways of knowing and being;
  • Research questions, goals, and frameworks;
  • Methodologies;
  • Outputs, impacts and recommendations;
  • Knowledge translation strategies.

Inclusion

Inclusion: “The practice of ensuring that all individuals are valued and respected for their contributions and are equally supported.”

Prioritizing inclusion in your research:

• Consider how you have or will:
  • Foster safety and belonging within your team.
  • Extend decision-making power, economic, and social resources to team members, so they can navigate the research system.
  • Extend decision-making power, economic, and social resources to participants and knowledge users, so they can navigate the research system.

EDI considerations can help respond to individual biases and systemic barriers that shape who accesses and thrives in the research system. When tailored to each discipline, EDI can enhance representation, rigour, and innovation.

Researchers must also ensure their work is compliant with EDI-related governance frameworks that shape the research system. This includes frameworks adhered to by funding agencies and Brock University.

These frameworks prompt safe research environments, inclusive research projects, and equitable processes used to assess research. For example, federal and provincial legislation require researchers to be mindful of protections against discrimination in hiring and the duty to accommodate new team members in the workplace. Other frameworks encourage peer review committees and institutions to ensure measures of Research Excellence reflect a range of research impacts, mentorship, leadership, and service contributions.

Researchers at Brock are encouraged to consider how their work relates to the following governance frameworks:

1. Ontario Human Rights Code (1962)
2. Canadian Human Rights Act (1977)
3. Employment Equity Act (1986)
4. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) (2005)
5. Brock University Respectful Work and Learning Environment Policy
6. Canada Research Chair (CRC) Program Canadian Human Rights Settlement Agreement (2006) 
7. The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) (2012)
8. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action (2015)
9. Brock University Strategic Plan (2018)
10. Tri-Agency EDI Action Plan (2018)
11. Accessible Canada Act (ACA) (2019)
12. Brock University CRC EDI Action Plan
13. Scarborough Charter (2021)

Researchers are encouraged to reflect on the following prompts:

• How do the frameworks apply to your research environment, the design of your study, or department?
• Do you and your team understand your rights and responsibilities, as outlined in these frameworks?
• Do you know why each framework was created?
• Where relevant, have you read consultations or annual reports related to the frameworks?
• Are you aware of challenges and progress in fulfilling these frameworks?
• Are you aware of groups or experiences that may not be reflected in the frameworks?

Researchers should clearly describe barriers, needs, and EDI strategies as they relate to research practice and research design.

Research practice includes health, safety, and access in the research environment, as well as the recruitment, onboarding, and professional development processes that support research team members.

EDI application questions about research practice may refer to:

• Team Composition
• Trainee Recruitment Processes
• Training Philosophy
• Research Training Plan
• Past Training of HQP

Research design refers to the research questions, design, methodology and data collection, analysis and interpretation, and the dissemination of research results.

EDI application questions about research design may refer to:

• Methodology
• Knowledge Translation or Mobilization
• Sex and Gender Considerations
• Most Significant Contributions to Research
• Research Potential

For additional support in developing or writing about an EDI strategy, please contact the EDI in Research Advisor.

To learn more about equity, diversity, and inclusion in research, please explore our research toolkits:

• Guide: Resources for Further Learning