Diversity & Inclusivity (use of inclusive language)
The Journal of Innovation Management (JIM) is guided by COPE's 'Diversity and inclusivity' Discussion Document. This document addresses issues related to diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI).
According to COPE, as an introduction to the abovementioned document: "Initial recommendations for the promotion of social justice and equality within scholarly publishing are around four major themes: identifying subjects of discrimination, representational issues in workforce discrimination and marginalisation, impact of discriminatory practices in peer review and editorial decision making, and the marginalisation of research topics through citation lexicons and algorithms." (Source: COPE's 'Diversity and inclusivity' Discussion Document).
JIM values diversity, equity and inclusion and rejects the use of biased, offensive, and problematic language as well as derogatory demographic descriptors.
Incorporating inclusive language in manuscripts recognizes the array of differences among individuals, demonstrates respect for all individuals, displays sensitivity to varying perspectives, and fosters equal prospects.
It is essential to refrain from presuming the convictions or commitments of readers in all JIM papers. Works should steer clear of any insinuation of one person's superiority over another based on factors like age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, or health status. Utilizing inclusive language consistently throughout is of paramount importance. JIM Authors must ensure their writing is void of partiality, clichés, slang, and allusions that assume a dominant culture or cultural presumptions.
To attain gender neutrality, it's recommended JIM Authors employ plural nouns ("clinicians, patients/clients") as the default whenever feasible, rather than resorting to gender-specific pronouns ("he," "she," or "he/she"). Descriptors tied to personal characteristics like age, gender, cultural backgrounds, culture, sexual orientation, disability, or health status should only be included if they hold relevance and validity.