Continuing the Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Within AGA Journals

Abstract

Section snippets

Over 2 Years Covering a Broad Range of DEI Topics

In our time as DEI section editors, we published 27 manuscripts in the DEI sections for Gastroenterology and CGH between July 2022 and September 2024. Most pieces (23) were copublished in the two journals, with 1 additional manuscript published solely in Gastroenterology and 3 published solely in CGH.As intended, the range of topics covered has been broad, encompassing subjects in both gastroenterology and hepatology. While most pieces are commentaries, the DEI section has also housed

Views, Downloads, and Citations

Between July 2022 and September 2024, the 27 published DEI section manuscripts were viewed or downloaded a total of 68,150 times combined for Gastroenterology and CGH (mean 1434 [range 231–3242]). Views and downloads per article ranged from 303 to 3242 for Gastroenterology (compared with 71 to 19,586 for non-DEI articles) and from 231 to 1577 for CGH (compared with 18 to 4928 for non-DEI articles). Articles in the DEI section were cited an average of 2.1 times (both journals combined) with a

Social Media Engagement

As section editors, we use social media to promote each accepted manuscript at the time of online publication. On the platform X (formerly known as Twitter), the average engagement rate for DEI posts from October 2022 to September 2024 was 1.97% (Hootsuite/X; data were current as of September 10, 2024). For context, Adobe’s 2022 guide to social media rates explains that, while goals might vary depending on the platform and size of the business, an engagement rate greater than 1% on X is

DEI Within the AGA Journal Boards of Editors and Editorial Boards

The AGA journals routinely monitor metrics for efforts related to DEI, including the diversity of each journal’s board of editors (BOE) and editorial board (EB). All data are self-reported by individuals in their AGA member profile and maintained in the AGA member database. Of note, data for sex, race, and ethnicity are not reported by many individuals, and geographic location is manually assigned based on the individual’s institution when missing.The BOE refers to the group of editors, led by

Author Survey Results

In addition to promoting content focused on GI health equity and equity in the GI workforce, another goal of the section was to amplify work created by underrepresented authors with expertise in these areas. Authors comprise a prestigious and broad cohort, including physicians and scientists in gastroenterology and hepatology subspecializing in colorectal cancer, liver disease, and inflammatory bowel disease among other areas, with overlapping foci on health disparities. We sought to learn from

Concluding Thoughts

We are honored to contribute to the AGA by serving as DEI section editors for the past 2.5 years, and by the trust bestowed upon us to curate material with the goal to help educate AGA journal readership about underserved populations and persistent disparities in our field. As we approach the second half of our terms, we are encouraged by high readership engagement and positive author experience. We envision ongoing growth and evolution of the section in its purpose, content, and authorship. We

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Gina Reitenauer and Nick Tomeo for their assistance with data acquisition and interpretation.

Author Contributions

Sandra M. Quezada: conceptualization, data collection and interpretation, drafting, editing. Folasade P. May: conceptualization, data collection and interpretation, drafting, editing.