DOI: 10.25338/b8n63k
title: Demographic data collection in STEM organizations

description: Professional organizations in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and
 mathematics) can use demographic data to quantify recruitment and
 retention (R&R) of underrepresented groups within their
 memberships.  However, variation in the types of demographic data
 collected can influence the targeting and perceived impacts of R&R
 efforts - e.g., giving false signals of R&R for some
 groups.  We obtained demographic surveys from 73 U.S.-affiliated
 STEM organizations, collectively representing 712,000 members and
 conference-attendees.  We found large differences in the
 demographic categories surveyed (e.g., disability status, sexual
 orientation) and the available response options.  These
 discrepancies indicate a lack of consensus regarding the demographic
 groups that should be recognized and, for groups that are omitted from
 surveys, an inability of organizations to prioritize and evaluate
 R&R initiatives.  Aligning inclusive demographic surveys
 across organizations will provide baseline data that can be used to target
 and evaluate R&R initiatives to better serve underrepresented
 groups throughout STEM.
description: We surveyed 164 STEM organizations (73 responses,
 rate = 44.5%) between December 2020 and July 2021 with the goal of
 understanding what demographic data each organization collects from its
 constituents (i.e., members and conference-attendees) and how the data are
 used.  Organizations were sourced from a list of professional societies
 affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science,
 AAAS, (n = 156) or from social media (n = 8).  The survey was sent to the
 elected leadership and management firms for each organization, and
 follow-up reminders were sent after one month.  The responding
 organizations represented a wide range of fields: 31 life science
 organizations (157,000 constituents), 5 mathematics organizations (93,000
 constituents), 16 physical science organizations (207,000 constituents), 7
 technology organizations (124,000 constituents), and 14 multi-disciplinary
 organizations spanning multiple branches of STEM (131,000 constituents). 
 A list of the responding organizations is available in the Supplementary
 Materials.  Based on the AAAS-affiliated recruitment of the organizations
 and the similar distribution of constituencies across STEM fields, we
 conclude that the responding organizations are a representative
 cross-section of the most prominent STEM organizations in the U.S.  Each
 organization was asked about the demographic information they collect from
 their constituents, the response rates to their surveys, and how the data
 were used. <strong>Survey
 description</strong> The following questions are
 written as presented to the participating organizations.  Question 1:  What is
 the name of your STEM organization? Question
 2:  Does your organization collect demographic data from your
 membership and/or meeting attendees? Question
 3:  When was your organization’s most recent demographic survey
 (approximate year)? Question 4:  We
 would like to know the categories of demographic information collected by
 your organization.  You may answer this question by either uploading a
 blank copy of your organization’s survey (linked provided in online
 version of this survey) OR by completing a short series of
 questions. Question 5:  On the most
 recent demographic survey or questionnaire, what categories of information
 were collected?  (Please select all that apply) Disability status Gender identity (e.g., male, female,
 non-binary) Marital/Family status Racial and ethnic group
 Religion Sex Sexual orientation Veteran status Other (please provide)
 Question 6:  For each of the
 categories selected in Question 5, what options were provided for survey
 participants to select? Question 7: 
 Did the most recent demographic survey provide a statement about data
 privacy and confidentiality?  If yes, please provide the
 statement. Question 8:  Did the most
 recent demographic survey provide a statement about intended data use?  If
 yes, please provide the statement. Question
 9:  Who maintains the demographic data collected by your
 organization? (e.g., contracted third party, organization
 executives) Question 10:  How has
 your organization used members’ demographic data in the last five years? 
 Examples: monitoring temporal changes in demographic diversity, publishing
 diversity data products, planning conferences, contributing to third-party
 researchers. Question 11:  What is
 the size of your organization (number of members or number of attendees at
 recent meetings)? Question 12:  What
 was the response rate (%) for your organization’s most recent demographic
 survey? <strong>*</strong>Organizations
 were also able to upload a copy of their demographics survey instead of
 responding to Questions 5-8.  If so, the uploaded survey was used (by the
 study authors) to evaluate Questions 5-8.
description: Demographic questions that were not surveyed are listed as
 "NOT SURVEYED" Information that was not
 provided by the organizations is listed as "NOT GIVEN"
 Within the data-use section (Column header pre-fix =
 "Data-use"), "NA" indicates that the organization had
 no data managment available; "No" indicates that data management
 information was available but the queried item was not included;
 "Yes" indicates that data management information was available
 and the queried item was included.