Anti-Racism Resources

Merritt College students and faculty are encouraged to incorporate diverse resources into their research. Use of an anti-racism lens within research allows non-white voices to be amplified and inequities, injustices and power dynamics to be highlighted. A wider range of perspectives included within research may aid in the ability to identify and reduce systematic oppression.

De-Centering the white perspective is possible in all stages of the research process. The initial thesis development, data collection, research participants, publication and dissemination of the work may all be completed with an underlying anti-racist focus.

Think about all of those involved with your research: the writer(s), the data collectors, authors of papers or literature you are referencing, the participants in any case studies, publishers, and the intended audience. Are they WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic)? As Henrich, Heine and Norenzayan discuss in their paper, "The Weirdest People in the World," most of the studies published on human behavior and psychology are based on studies of WEIRD populations, specifically undergraduate students, which may not be generally applicable to other population groups. Of note, they write that, "The fact that WEIRD people are the outliers in so many key domains of the behavioral sciences may render them one of the worst subpopulations one could study for generalizing about Homo sapiens."  Harden adds that it's often accurate to include a second W in the acronym (WWEIRD) to include the word White. 

Whether planning a study, analyzing data from an existing study, or selecting scholarly literature for background reading, ask yourself how WWEIRD-centric the information is. Evaluate the author, the publisher and those involved. Can you think of someone whose voice is excluded from the narrative? Is it possible to find research that is more inclusive and applicable to a wider population? 

How can we find information from non-WWEIRD sources?

Although many scholarly journals are seeking to increase the diversity of their authors, most publishers have not, historically, sought out or collected racial data on their authors. You may find it useful to seek information outside of traditional scholarly publishing.

• The Journals Online Project aims to provide increased the visibility, accessibility and quality of peer-reviewed journals published in developing countries so that the research outputs produced in these countries can be found, shared and used more effectively.
• Look for oral histories and community archives
• Utilize search engines (such as Google) to find groups, organizations and sources not published through traditional, scholarly sources. Learn how to refine your searches for more precise results.
• Discover journals and publications written by and/for marginalized groups. For example, the Crisis is an online publication published by the NAACP.
• Use your community.  The Index of Community Engagement Techniques advises on all aspects of community involvement, including consultation.
• Make your database searches more productive by familiarizing yourself with Library of Congress subject headings focused on inclusion and anti-racism, such as those listed on the Library Resources page of this guide.
• Many professional organizations have committees or publications focusing on certain populations (for example, gender or racial based). Jobstars has compiled an extensive list of these diverse professional organizations and associations.
• Seek open access (free to read) scholarly publishing sources, which may serve a more diverse population of authors and audience.
• Consider who the expert in the field would be - would it be an academic researcher? A community organizer? Someone who has lived experience with an issue? How might you contact them?
• Ask professors in the field of interest. For example, the faculty in Merritt College's African-American Studies department may be a useful resource.
• Contact your Merritt College Reference Librarians for assistance finding appropriate sources.

Another way to evaluate individual sources is the ACT UP method, developed by research librarian Dawn Stahura. The ACT UP method encourages researchers to consider any potential bias and privilege of the source author.

The ACT UP method asks you to think about:

A: The Author. Who wrote the resource? Who are they? Background information matters.

C: Currency. When was this resource written? When was it published? Does this resource fit into the currency of your topic?

T: Truth. How accurate is this information? Can you verify any of the claims in other sources? Are there typos and spelling mistakes?

U: Unbiased. Is the information presented to sway the audience to a particular point of view? Resources, unless otherwise stated, should be impartial.

P: Privilege. Check the privilege of the author(s). Are they the only folks who might write or publish on this topic? Who is missing in this conversation? Critically evaluate the subject terms associated with each resource you found. How are they described? What are the inherent biases?

from Dawn Stahura, “ACT UP: Evaluating Sources”

If your research will be shared with the community, consider how you may provide your work in an impactful, relevant manner.

• open access journal publications may reach a larger audience
• ROAR (the Registry of Open Access Repositories) links to global subject-based and institution-based repositories (digital platforms providing free access to research)
• the visualization choices you make in presenting your research may impact the ability of the reader/audience to interpret your results. Datassist created an infographic ("How Not to Visualize Like a Racist") describing and illustrating the impact of data visualization choices
• the Index of Community Engagement Techniques suggests ways in which you might present your research to, and collaborate with, the appropriate communities.

• This guide is largely based on the University of Minnesota's excellent and comprehensive guide to Conducting Research Through an Anti-Racism Lens.
• Emily Hadley wrote 5 Steps to Take as an Antiracist Data Scientist to highlight the connection between data collection/analysis and perpetuation of racism.
• The Conscious Style Guide aims to "help writers and editors think critically about using language—including words, portrayals, framing, and representation—to empower instead of limit." The site provides specific resources on Ethnicity, Race and Nationality (as well as for many other marginalized groups).
• Beyond WEIRD: Towards a broad-based behavioral science expands on Henrich et al.'s seminal paper, including responses from many in the scientific community.
• NPR Diverse Sources Database lists media experts from underrepresented groups.
• The American Psychological Association (APA) has developed an Inclusive Language Guide to support the use of culturally sensitive terms and phrases which center the voices and perspectives of those who have been historically marginalized or stereotyped. The guide also explains the origins of problematic terms and phrases and offers suitable, more contemporary alternatives.