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Preconceptions based on gender stereotypes are still present when it comes to the assessment of men and women in research. On account of the unconscious application of biased societal patterns, such processes may occur unintentionally and without awareness.
But what does it take to eliminate implicit gender bias? The aim of this listicle is not to present an entire report on this topic, but to highlight a number of useful resources dealing with recognizing and reducing such bias. Please feel free to join GenPORT by registering, and contribute to the community with comments, uploading resources and events, or information on organizations.
1. PROJECT: Implicit Social Cognition. Investigating the gap between intentions and actions
Project Implicit is investigating the field of thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. The project website provides several implicit association tests (IAT) which measure attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report, e.g. a ‘Gender – Science IAT’ and a ‘Gay - Straight IAT’. Additionally, the project offers lectures, workshops and customized training.
2. VIDEO: Understanding unconscious bias (2015)
The animated video by Professor Uta Frith, developmental psychologist and founder of the Science&Shopping network, gives an illustrative introduction to unconscious bias. Within three minutes she discusses the following questions: How does unconscious bias manifest itself? How do we identify unconscious bias? What can we do about unconscious bias?
The document at hand investigates ways to identify gender biases and possibilities to reduce stereotype threat among women and girls.
The report was also followed by a webinar in January 2017 which focused specifically on gender bias as viewed through an intersectional lens and its implications for the academic and professional achievements of women.
4. TOOLKIT: Gender in EU-funded research and innovation (2011)
Funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) this project aims at eliminating gender bias in research projects and encouraging researchers to include the gender dimension in their studies.
In this manner, the toolkit addresses researchers to understand this issue and educates them to be more sensitive towards the gender dimension in science.
5. REPORT: Academic and Science Careers GenPORT Research Synthesis 2 (2015)
This GenPORT Research Synthesis discusses gender bias and other reasons why women continue to be under-represented at the top of the academic hierarchy. The report also points out implications for policy making to promote gender equality.
6. PROJECT WEBSITE: Tools for Change in STEM
This website addresses the role of women in science against the background of implicit bias and a lack of family-friendly policies. The ‘Level the Playing Field’-workshop catalog offers a series of short visual presentations, including ‘Double Jeopardy? How Gender Bias Differs by Race’. In addition, you can download the guide ‘What Works for Women at Work: Individual Strategies for Overcoming Gender Bias’.
7. TRAINING: Gender Bias Learning Project
The website provided by the Center for WorkLife Law at UC Hastings College of the Law offers a training to identify the four basic patterns of gender bias (‘Prove it Again!’, ‘The Double Bind’, ‘The Maternal Wall’, ‘Gender Wars’). With the help of several audiovisual tools - animated video scenarios, expert interviews, a quiz and an online game, you can train to cope with each type of bias.
8. ARTICLE: To Advance Science, It's Time to Tackle Unconscious Bias (2016)
This contribution to Live Science by Geraldine Richmond, who chairs the board of directors for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, addresses gender bias in science: While several advances have been achieved over the past years, deeply ingrained biases still have a huge influence on our supposedly objective evaluation of a project or an individual. Author Geraldine Richmond discusses the impact of bias trainings and encourages actions which help minimize implicit bias.
9. PROJECT WEBSITE: Unconscious Bias Project
In addition to documenting the prevalence of unconscious bias in STEM fields, and discussing how such bias hinders diversity, the Unconscious Bias Project by UC Berkeley also provides trainings. The trainings are offered online, as well as through workshops and events.
The workshop presentation on ‘Understanding and Overcoming Unconscious Bias’ and a handout about ‘Addressing Bias in STEM with Bystander Intervention’ can be downloaded on the website. Additionally, this resource includes five steps to reduce bias and hints at a lot of external resources.
10. VIDEO: Minimizing Gender Biases in the Workplace (2012)
In her keynote address to the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) in 2012, Shelley Correll (Barbara D. Fineberg Director of the Stanford Clayman Institute for Gender Research and Professor of Sociology) discusses gender bias in the workplace and offers solutions to minimize it.
11. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Gender Bias in Academe (last updated February 2017)
This website provides an annotated bibliography of important recent studies on unconscious and pervasive gender bias in academia. The authors shed light on the ‘biased filter’ and address administrators and faculty committees, award committees, Human Resource departments, policy makers and accreditation agencies.
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