Yim An-Di, Juarez Jessica K, Goliath Jesse R, Melhado Isabel S
Department of Health and Exercise Sciences, Truman State University, 100 E Normal Ave, Kirksville, Missouri, USA.
Department of Biology, Truman State University, 100 E Normal Ave, Kirksville, Missouri, USA.
Forensic Sci Int Synerg. 2022 Sep 8;5:100280. doi: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2022.100280. eCollection 2022.
The benefits of a diverse and inclusive working environment are well documented. This study examined forensic science literature, demographic data reported from professional organizations, and demographic surveys to compile information regarding racial and ethnic diversity within different subdisciplines of forensic science. Results showed that practitioners self-identified as Black or Hispanic were underrepresented in scientific fields closely related to forensic science. Moreover, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students were underrepresented at the undergraduate level, despite increasing college enrollments. This lack of representation may have consequences on knowledge production and innovation. By recognizing the current status of diversity in forensic science, this study is the first step toward mitigating the trend of underrepresentation. We encourage professional organizations to be transparent about the diversity in their membership and provide actual practitioner demographic statistics. These data are beneficial to studying the effects of underrepresentation and developing effective strategies to improve representation.
多元化和包容性工作环境的益处已有充分记录。本研究查阅了法医学文献、专业组织报告的人口统计数据以及人口统计调查，以汇编有关法医学不同子学科中种族和民族多样性的信息。结果表明，自我认定为黑人或西班牙裔的从业者在与法医学密切相关的科学领域中代表性不足。此外，尽管大学入学人数不断增加，但黑人、原住民和有色人种（BIPOC）学生在本科阶段的代表性仍不足。这种代表性的缺乏可能会对知识生产和创新产生影响。通过认识到法医学中多样性的现状，本研究是缓解代表性不足趋势的第一步。我们鼓励专业组织对其成员的多样性保持透明，并提供实际从业者的人口统计数据。这些数据有助于研究代表性不足的影响，并制定有效的策略来提高代表性。
