A community of practice approach to improving gender equality in research

Bringing together the latest research among various communities of practice (disciplinary and place based as well as thematically organised), this volume reflects upon the knowledge, experience and practice gained through taking a unique community of practice approach to fostering gender equality in the sectors of research and innovation, and higher education in Europe and beyond. Based on research funded by the European Union, it considers how inter-organisational collaboration can foster change for gender equality through sharing of experiences of Gender Equality Plan implementation and examining the role of measures such as change-monitoring systems. As such, it will appeal to social scientists with interests in organisational change, the sociology of work and gender equality.

Rachel Palmén is Senior Researcher in the Gender and ICT Research Programme, IN3, at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Spain, and at Notus Barcelona, Spain. She has worked on various gender and science research projects, including GenPORT, EFFORTI, TARGET and ACT. Her main research interests include gender (in)equalities in R&I and institutional transformation. She is the coordinator of INSPIRE: The European Centre of Excellence on Inclusive Gender Equality in Research & Innovation.

Jörg Müller is Senior Researcher in the Gender and ICT Research Programme, IN3, at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Spain. He has coordinated several EC projects on gender equality and science, including GenPORT, GEDII and ACT. His main research interest focuses on relational and practice-based accounts of inequalities using new methodological approaches.