A push for inclusive data collection in STEM organizations

Abstract

Professional societies could better survey, and thus better serve, underrepresented groups

Abstract

Professional organizations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are well-positioned to improve the recruitment and retention (R&R) of underrepresented groups ( 1 , 2 ) by providing targeted professional development, networking opportunities, and political advocacy ( 3 , 4 ). Tailoring these initiatives to specific underrepresented groups can enhance their impact ( 5 ), but this is predicated on organizations knowing their demographic make-up ( 6 ). Here, we report patterns in STEM organizations’ collection and usage of demographic data from members and conference attendees, based on information from 73 professional societies representing 712,000 constituents. In light of inconsistencies and limitations that we observed, we suggest survey programs that can serve as models for inclusive survey designs by organizations and, where possible, provide demographic information for benchmarking relative to the general population. With improved surveys, organizations can leverage demographic data to prioritize and evaluate R&R efforts, and share effective strategies for R&R of underrepresented groups across STEM.