CALL FOR EVIDENCE

We launched an online call for evidence in September 2021 to gather feedback on creating good practice guidelines for responsible communication of research on sex/gender and the brain.

We had 86 responses, a fifth of which (17/86) were from people directly involved in communicating about research findings on sex/gender and the brain, with most of the rest from people who hear or read about this research.

Around half (42/86) of respondents told us that they do not find it easy to tell whether research findings on sex/gender and the brain are communicated accurately, with a further 22 respondents reporting that while they can tell, they would still find good practice guidelines helpful.

There was support for the guidelines being straightforward, concise, endorsed by key stakeholders and easy to find online. Some respondents also highlighted the importance of the guidelines being balanced, factual and unbiased, and shared actively with non-scientific groups including journalists and educators.

Respondents  suggested a wide range of issues that might be critical for the guidelines to address, such as the problem of authors ignoring the effect of socialisation, using bogus evolutionary arguments, and forgetting that there is likely to be a bigger difference within a group than between the averages for two groups.