Editorial: Introducing the British Psychological Society Journals' landmark special issue on inequality

Abstract

As the Chair of Editorial Advisory Group for the British Psychological Society (BPS) Journals, I am delighted to present this special issue of landmark papers. Each paper within the collection is focused on the topic of inequality within the field of psychology, and one paper has been selected or commissioned by each Editor from all of the BPS portfolio journals. This is the third of the BPS journal's annual landmark editions. In keeping with our 2022 landmark edition on Diversity, we, as Editors, decided to present papers from our subdisciplines on another theme both relevant to society as whole and an area to which we feel psychological knowledge can bring understanding and therefore the potential for change.

Inequality refers to the unequal or unjust distribution of resources and opportunities amongst members of society. Inequality permeates throughout our world, on a global level between different countries but also on a more local level within countries, communities and organizations. Inequality can be overt or more subtle. It is influenced by a whole range of factors including race, gender, sexuality, disability, education, wealth and social class, and many of these factors feature within the papers from this edition.

The BPS as an organization and ourselves as BPS Journal Editors are committed to improving equality of access. The BPS aims to reduce inequality within the discipline and profession of psychology and to work to eradicate discriminatory practice. As Editors, we want to encourage submissions from researchers from non-Western countries, from Black and other ethnic minority groups, from women, from people with disabilities and others who have traditionally found it harder to succeed in the academic world. For us, reducing inequality means having editorial board members and peer reviewers from diverse backgrounds. We also use the process of double-blind peer review across our journals, and there is recent evidence that this process reduces bias and boosts diverse authorship (Fox et al., 2023). Furthermore, we want to continue to publish research on the topic of inequality and topics that are relevant to those who experience inequality in access.

This is the third special issue of landmark papers from the BPS journals, and presenting these papers together showcases the breath of current psychological science. We believe that psychological science has the potential to develop understanding of inequality and therefore instigate change in thinking and practice towards embracing different influences and reducing the unequal opportunities that people face. We will have already identified a topic for 2024 focused on the United Nations Sustainability Goals, and we hope you will continue to read the work to inspire developments in your research and practice.

Finally, on behalf of myself and other Editors in Chief for the BPS journals, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have contributed to this landmark edition as well as our regular editorial teams and people who have provided peer reviews throughout the year. We are fully aware that journals could not function without your support.