Researchers should include historical context for problematic researchers: Opinion

Scientific researchers should be able to include information about racist, supremacist histories advocated for by the researchers they are citing, writes Clara del Junco. Del Junco describes the experience of submitting a paper that cited an equation proposed by a British statistician for the purpose of eugenics. The author included a footnote providing context on the statistician’s supremacist and discriminatory views that was eventually removed by the journal editor, as the editor considered the note to be a personal statement. Del Junco argues that such context belongs in scientific articles and should not be relegated solely to other forums and seminars, which some researchers may not engage with. Instead, the author recommends including information in places where all scientists are already active, such as conference talks, classes, and papers. Inside Higher Ed Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.