Linguistic diversity metrics from eight Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services assessments
Dates
Publication Date
2020-12-17
Time Period
2020-11-01
Citation
Abigail J. Lynch, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Ignacio Palomo, Pedro Jaureguiberry, Tatsuya Amano, Zeenatual Basher, Michelle Lim, Tuyeni H. Mwampamba, Aibek Samakov, and Odirilwe Selomane, 20201217, Linguistic diversity metrics from eight Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services assessments: , https://doi.org/10.21429/pdn4-bk48.
Summary
Multicultural representation is a stated goal of many global scientific assessment processes. These processes aim to mobilize a broader, more diverse pool of information for international knowledge-building and synthesis processes while increasing social legitimacy and inclusiveness. Often, enhancing cultural diversity is encouraged through engagement of diverse expert teams and sources of knowledge in different languages. In this dataset, we examined the incorporation of multicultural diversity in the eight published assessments of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The culturally diversity of experts and knowledge holders participating in the process is not reflected in the [...]
Summary
Multicultural representation is a stated goal of many global scientific assessment processes. These processes aim to mobilize a broader, more diverse pool of information for international knowledge-building and synthesis processes while increasing social legitimacy and inclusiveness. Often, enhancing cultural diversity is encouraged through engagement of diverse expert teams and sources of knowledge in different languages. In this dataset, we examined the incorporation of multicultural diversity in the eight published assessments of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The culturally diversity of experts and knowledge holders participating in the process is not reflected in the assessment evidence base. Our results show that the IPBES assessment outputs are disproportionally filtered through English-language literature and authors from Anglophone countries. Some countries, such as the United States and United Kingdom, are over-represented compared to other countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, where English is a second or third language. Overlooking linguistic diversity can lead to incomplete and biased understandings of the drivers of and solutions to biodiversity loss.
Synthesis of science to develop broad understandings requires integration of information from multiple scales and diverse sources. Inherent biases in scientific work favor English-language literature and Anglophone experts. This limits what is included as ‘knowledge’ and narrows our understanding of important issues. These data were collected to examine the linguistic diversity of assessment experts, references they consulted, comments they received, and the final reports of eight ecological assessments recently produced by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). We found that, despite encouragement, non-English-language literature is rarely consulted in the assessments, even in linguistically diverse author teams. These data may be used to examine how scientific culture can become more inclusive of linguistic diversity. They may inform methodological guidelines for authors of these global assessments.
