Reaffirming Our Commitment to Social Justice
The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry is the principal publication of Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice. We have had a long-standing commitment to social justice.?Recently, the Global Alliance Board of Directors and the AJO Co-editors Kendell Coker and @Ryan P. Kilmer, reaffirmed our commitment to social justice in all of our work.
Read the full statement (https://lnkd.in/gAtBVX9d):
As the principal publication of the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice, the editorial team of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (AJO) and the Board of Directors of the Global Alliance reaffirm our long-standing commitment to social justice. We are fully aware of the recent anti DEI executive orders and the removal/limiting access to scientific and public health databases that have long been used by researchers to inform science, practice, and policy. These executive orders and restrictions can undermine efforts to conduct research on systemic disparities facing marginalized populations in the United States. In addition to unapologetically denouncing these efforts, the Global Alliance and we at AJO reiterate our support for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and anyone else negatively impacted by these draconian policies. At AJO, we are aware of the negative impact these executive orders and restrictions have on prospective authors. Also, we understand that these policies and access to important government/research databases can fluctuate at a moment’s notice for a variety of reasons (e.g., legal action, current administration’s discretion). We recognize the uncertainty these issues create and offer the following to provide guidance and support for researchers: ? We will continue to welcome manuscripts that fit within AJO’s aims and scope (i.e., the current anti-DEI efforts will not impact our journal’s commitment to social justice). ? Sound methodological research that has practical implications for behavioral health and social justice in policy, practice, and research will continue to receive full and fair consideration throughout the peer review and editorial decision-making process (i.e., the current anti-DEI efforts will not impact which manuscripts are selected for review or publication). ? We can extend deadlines for authors whose papers used affected databases while under review or were otherwise affected by the executive orders. Please do not hesitate to contact AJO’s editors if you have any questions or concerns.
In a recent?interview by the American Psychological Association,?(https://lnkd.in/gFxATgEB) co-editors Coker and Kilmer reflect on the importance of AJO to the field, their priorities, and challenges faced by AJO as it navigates the current climate.?
