Webinar with Lorraine Chuen, Communications & Satellite Event Coordinator for the Right to Research Coalition and lead author of the OpenCon Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report - a report that highlights how to minimize barriers to participation in conferences that convene academic communities. Lorraine presents the findings and provide insight, suggestions and best practices for creating inclusive events that reduce barriers to participation in conferences.

More information about the report:

The organizers of OpenCon, a global community and conference series that aims to empower the next generation to advance openness in research and education, today released a report focused on minimizing barriers to participation in conferences that convene academic communities. The report includes relevant lessons learned in organizing the first three OpenCon global conferences, a conference planning checklist based on those learnings, and a self-assessment of OpenCon’s global meetings to date.

The report is available at https://bit.ly/opencondeireport

The OpenCon Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report was created to keep OpenCon—and its commitments and values—transparent and accountable to the community, while raising the visibility of these issues for other conference organizers. The report seeks to spark a conversation about how academic communities can be more diverse, equitable and inclusive, starting with the spaces where communities convene in person. These issues have been identified as fundamental by the next generation of academic professionals working to open up research and education through the OpenCon community.

“We understand that OpenCon still has significant work to do with respect to building diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of our work,” said Lorraine Chuen, Communications & Satellite Event Coordinator for the Right to Research Coalition and lead author of the report. “We hope this report can be the start of an ongoing conversation—both within the OpenCon network and with the wider community—to continually improve our efforts and help others to do the same.”

The report covers decisions around choosing venues, minimizing financial barriers, ensuring that voices from underrepresented and marginalized groups are prioritized and heard, and more. The document draws on lessons learned from planning OpenCon as well as external resources on accessible event planning. The report also includes detailed demographic data on OpenCon’s participants, speakers, and organizing committees, as well as a self-assessment based on that data.