What is STEP?
Our NSF-funded STEP project (2014-2019) explored the relationships between the composition, climate, and practices on environmental science teams. Some previous research has shown that team composition (e.g., gender, ethnicity, or discipline of the team members) can influence science outcomes such as effectiveness and productivity. But, very little previous research has examined how team composition affects scientists' ethical practices related to activities such as authorship, mentoring, and data sharing.
Using qualitative and quantitative surveys, we found that individuals on teams with more demographic diversity reported a more positive climate than those on teams with less demographic diversity. Positive perceptions of team climate were also related to greater overall satisfaction with the team, authorship practices, and perceptions of greater team data sharing. However, we found that individuals from underrepresented groups tended to perceive team climate more negatively than majority-group members. These results highlight the importance of team climate in promoting diversity in interdisciplinary science teams.
We have disseminated our work through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. We have also facilitated workshops to help teams develop more thoughtful authorship policies and practices to guide their collaborative manuscript development. It is our hope that these workshops and the publicly-available materials will increase the reach of our work and help provide support for all team members.
Using qualitative and quantitative surveys, we found that individuals on teams with more demographic diversity reported a more positive climate than those on teams with less demographic diversity. Positive perceptions of team climate were also related to greater overall satisfaction with the team, authorship practices, and perceptions of greater team data sharing. However, we found that individuals from underrepresented groups tended to perceive team climate more negatively than majority-group members. These results highlight the importance of team climate in promoting diversity in interdisciplinary science teams.
We have disseminated our work through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. We have also facilitated workshops to help teams develop more thoughtful authorship policies and practices to guide their collaborative manuscript development. It is our hope that these workshops and the publicly-available materials will increase the reach of our work and help provide support for all team members.
PIsKendra Cheruvelil
Kevin Elliott Georgina Montgomery Isis Settles Pat Soranno |
Current CollaboratorsErin Cech
Sheila Brassel Kathy Robotham Jackie Beck |
Past collaboratorsClaire Boudreau
Ellie Phillips Jordan A. Fournier Malcolm Davis |
Isis Settles (University of Michigan), Kendra Cheruvelil (Michigan State University), Pat Soranno (Michigan State University),
Georgina Montgomery (Michigan State University), and Kevin Elliott (Michigan State University) Ethical and Inclusive Authorship Resources |
Case study |
Public workshop resources |
Publications
Robotham, K., Settles, I.H., Cheruvelil, K.S., Montgomery, G.M., and K.C. Elliott. 2021. Just and Inclusive Team Climates Affect Mentoring Satisfaction: The Roles of Negative Mentoring and Race. Journal of Career Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453211044134
Cech, E., Settles, I.H., Cheruvelil, K.S., Elliott, K.C., Montgomery, G.M., and S.T. Brassel. 2021. The Social is Professional: The Effects of Team Climate on Professional Outcomes for LGBTQ Persons in Environmental Science. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 27(5): 25-48. https://doi.org/10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2021037211
Cheruvelil, K.S. and P.A. Soranno. 2018. Data-intensive ecological research is catalyzed by open science and team science. BioScience 68(10): 813-822. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy097
Elliott, K.C., I.H. Settles, G.M. Montgomery, S.T. Brasell, K.S. F and P.A. Soranno. 2017. Honorary authorship practices in environmental science teams: Structural and cultural factors and solutions. Accountability in Research 24(2): 80-98. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2016.1251320
Elliott, K.C., K.S. Cheruvelil, G.M. Montgomery, and P.A. Soranno. 2016. Conceptions of good science in our data-rich world. BioScience 66(10): 880-89. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw115
Oliver, S.K., C.E. Fergus, N.K. Skaff, T. Wagner, P.-N. Tan, K.S. Cheruvelil and P.A. Soranno. 2018. Strategies for effective collaborative manuscript development in interdisciplinary science teams. Ecosphere 9(4): e02206. https://doi.org/10.1002/ECS2.2206
Settles, I.H., S.T. Brassel, G.M. Montgomery, K.C. Elliott, P.A. Soranno, K.S. Cheruvelil. 2018. Missing the mark: A new form of honorary authorship motivated by desires for inclusion. Innovative Higher Education 43: 303-319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-018-9429-z
Settles, I.H., S.T. Brassel, P.A. Soranno, K.S. Cheruvelil, G.M. Montgomery, and Elliott, K.C. 2019. Team climate mediates the effect of diversity on environmental science team satisfaction and data sharing. PlosOne 14(7): e0219196. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219196
Soranno, P.A. 2019. Six simple steps to share your data when publishing research articles. Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin 28: 41-44. https://doi.org/10.1002/LOB.10303
Soranno, P.A., K.S. Cheruvelil, K.C. Elliott and G.M. Montgomery. 2015. It's good to share: Why environmental scientists' ethics are out of date. BioScience 65(1): 69-73. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biu169
Cech, E., Settles, I.H., Cheruvelil, K.S., Elliott, K.C., Montgomery, G.M., and S.T. Brassel. 2021. The Social is Professional: The Effects of Team Climate on Professional Outcomes for LGBTQ Persons in Environmental Science. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 27(5): 25-48. https://doi.org/10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2021037211
Cheruvelil, K.S. and P.A. Soranno. 2018. Data-intensive ecological research is catalyzed by open science and team science. BioScience 68(10): 813-822. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy097
Elliott, K.C., I.H. Settles, G.M. Montgomery, S.T. Brasell, K.S. F and P.A. Soranno. 2017. Honorary authorship practices in environmental science teams: Structural and cultural factors and solutions. Accountability in Research 24(2): 80-98. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2016.1251320
Elliott, K.C., K.S. Cheruvelil, G.M. Montgomery, and P.A. Soranno. 2016. Conceptions of good science in our data-rich world. BioScience 66(10): 880-89. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw115
Oliver, S.K., C.E. Fergus, N.K. Skaff, T. Wagner, P.-N. Tan, K.S. Cheruvelil and P.A. Soranno. 2018. Strategies for effective collaborative manuscript development in interdisciplinary science teams. Ecosphere 9(4): e02206. https://doi.org/10.1002/ECS2.2206
Settles, I.H., S.T. Brassel, G.M. Montgomery, K.C. Elliott, P.A. Soranno, K.S. Cheruvelil. 2018. Missing the mark: A new form of honorary authorship motivated by desires for inclusion. Innovative Higher Education 43: 303-319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-018-9429-z
Settles, I.H., S.T. Brassel, P.A. Soranno, K.S. Cheruvelil, G.M. Montgomery, and Elliott, K.C. 2019. Team climate mediates the effect of diversity on environmental science team satisfaction and data sharing. PlosOne 14(7): e0219196. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219196
Soranno, P.A. 2019. Six simple steps to share your data when publishing research articles. Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin 28: 41-44. https://doi.org/10.1002/LOB.10303
Soranno, P.A., K.S. Cheruvelil, K.C. Elliott and G.M. Montgomery. 2015. It's good to share: Why environmental scientists' ethics are out of date. BioScience 65(1): 69-73. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biu169
Acknowledgments
Research supported by: NSF-CCE-STEM (SES-1449466) and NSF-Macrosystems Biology (DEB-1638679).
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Affiliated with Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.
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