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Increasing diversity in STEM academia: a scoping review of intervention evaluations.

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Title: Increasing diversity in STEM academia: a scoping review of intervention evaluations.
Authors: Meyer, Johanna (AUTHOR), Barnett, Julie (AUTHOR), Corbett, Estelle (AUTHOR), Yeomans, Lucy (AUTHOR), Blackwood, Leda (AUTHOR)
Source: Studies in Higher Education. Nov2025, Vol. 50 Issue 11, p2564-2601. 38p.
Subjects: Diversity & inclusion policies, Racial minorities, Outcome assessment (Education), STEM education, Academia, Social justice, Externalities, Evaluation research
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: Lack of diversity is a significant issue in academic STEM, whether from a social justice, economic, or scientific quality perspective. In this scoping review, we synthesise peer-reviewed evaluations of diversity interventions in academic STEM from high-income countries between 2011 and 2023. One hundred and eighty-four intervention evaluations are identified through database searches (Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and IBSS) and forwards and backwards citation searches of included articles. Interventions are predominantly conducted in the US and targeted at women and ethnic or racial minorities. Other dimensions of diversity such as disability, socio-economic background, and sexual orientation are rarely addressed. The most common type of intervention is one that provides support-related services, followed by diversity training such as bias awareness workshops. Those seeking policy-level change are seen less frequently. Evaluations are heterogeneous in outcomes studied and designs. Interventions were overwhelmingly positioned as successful, with considerations of failures or unintended consequences rare. The findings from this review emphasise the need for holistic evaluations of diversity interventions that provide transparency between intervention and evaluation goals and processes. If institutional commitment to diversity is sincere, it is vital that resources and incentives for such evaluations and their dissemination are reliably available and that measures are taken to discourage evaluations acting as 'any change is good' box-ticking exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Increasing diversity in STEM academia: a scoping review of intervention evaluations.
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  Data: Lack of diversity is a significant issue in academic STEM, whether from a social justice, economic, or scientific quality perspective. In this scoping review, we synthesise peer-reviewed evaluations of diversity interventions in academic STEM from high-income countries between 2011 and 2023. One hundred and eighty-four intervention evaluations are identified through database searches (Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and IBSS) and forwards and backwards citation searches of included articles. Interventions are predominantly conducted in the US and targeted at women and ethnic or racial minorities. Other dimensions of diversity such as disability, socio-economic background, and sexual orientation are rarely addressed. The most common type of intervention is one that provides support-related services, followed by diversity training such as bias awareness workshops. Those seeking policy-level change are seen less frequently. Evaluations are heterogeneous in outcomes studied and designs. Interventions were overwhelmingly positioned as successful, with considerations of failures or unintended consequences rare. The findings from this review emphasise the need for holistic evaluations of diversity interventions that provide transparency between intervention and evaluation goals and processes. If institutional commitment to diversity is sincere, it is vital that resources and incentives for such evaluations and their dissemination are reliably available and that measures are taken to discourage evaluations acting as 'any change is good' box-ticking exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – SubjectFull: Racial minorities
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      – SubjectFull: Outcome assessment (Education)
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      – SubjectFull: STEM education
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      – SubjectFull: United States
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              Text: Nov2025
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