Sustainability Matters

In this second half of our special double episode of Sustainability Matters, we take a look at the impact of generative AI on academic culture. Should AI tools be used for peer review, grant writing, performance assessments, and the like? What makes “imperfect” human writing still worth defending? And finally, what happens to the value of voluntary reading in a world saturated with autogenerated content? All this and more with Dr. Naomi S. Baron, author of the chapter, “AI and Human Writing: Collaboration or Appropriation? [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110792270-008/html]” which is part of The De Gruyter Handbook of Robots in Society and Culture [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110792270/html], published by De Gruyter Brill. Guest: Dr. Naomi S. Baron [https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/nbaron.cfm]  Host: Ramzi Nasir [https://twitter.com/ramzinasir]

This month on Sustainability Matters, we discuss the persistent underrepresentation of Global South scholars in leading English-language journals. From editorial appointments to peer review practices, structural biases continue to shape who gets published—and whose knowledge is valued. While efforts are being made to address these imbalances, the question remains: what more can be done? All this and more with Dr. Eve Ng and Dr. Melissa A. Click, authors of the article “Democratizing publishing in communication/media studies: a case study of Communication, Culture & Critique [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/omgc-2024-0059/html?srsltid=AfmBOoryOHwAR9UJvOUeUFz_sEGNreEzk7QH2xaxqUCrTyySFgw5oO_C]”. The article is published in a special issue of the De Gruyter Brill journal Online Media and Global Communication [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/journal/key/omgc/html]. Guests: Dr. Eve Ng [https://www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/media-arts-studies/nge] and Dr. Melissa Click [https://www.gonzaga.edu/academics/faculty-listing/detail/melissa-a-click-phd-0685bc1e] Host: Ramzi Nasir [https://x.com/ramzinasir]

In honour of Pride Month, on this episode of Sustainability Matters, we explore the politics, practice, and perceptions of gender-fair language. Is it the same as gender-neutral language, or something more expansive? How do linguistic reforms for inclusivity play out across the evolution of a language? And what motivates scholars to adopt—or reject—more inclusive forms of writing? All this and more with Dr. Christine Ivanov and Dr. Maria B. Lange, authors of the chapter “Motivations for the Use of Gender-Fair Language in Research Literature in German Academia” [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111202280-006/html] from the book Public Attitudes Towards Gender-Inclusive Language [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111202280/html], published by De Gruyter Brill. Host: Ramzi Nasir [https://x.com/ramzinasir] Guests:  Dr. Christine Ivanov [https://www.sprachbewusst.de/] (Ln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-ivanov-77518a2b2/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-ivanov-77518a2b2/]) Dr. Maria B. Lange [http://www.swiftlinguistik.de/] (Ln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-maria-b-lange-b2b35b2b1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-maria-b-lange-b2b35b2b1/]) If you’re interested in delving further into gender-inclusive language in academia, here’s a reading list curated by the guests: 1. https://doi.org/10.1080/0163853X.2023.2199531 [https://doi.org/10.1080/0163853X.2023.2199531]. 2. https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.13719 [https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.13719] 3. https://doi.org/10.1080/01690960701702035 4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-013-0409-z  5. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01437 [http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01437] 6. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.1.206 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00369 [https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00369] 8. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2015.1067611 [https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2015.1067611] 9. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0261927X01020004004 10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01411-8 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01411-8]

In this first half of a special double episode on Sustainability Matters, we unpack how generative AI is challenging traditional ideas of writing, learning, and originality. Are large language models truly that revolutionary, or just glorified predictive text tools? How are universities responding to this shift? And—perhaps most importantly—where does morality come into the equation? All this and more with Dr. Naomi S. Baron, author of the chapter, "AI and Human Writing: Collaboration or Appropriation? [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110792270-008/html]" which is part of The De Gruyter Handbook of Robots in Society and Culture [https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110792270/html] published by De Gruyter Brill. Host: Ramzi Nasir [https://twitter.com/ramzinasir] Guest: Dr. Naomi S. Baron [https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/nbaron.cfm]

In this episode of Sustainability Matters, we get into the numbers behind scholarly publishing. We unpack why publishing consumption patterns vary so widely across countries, how data can inform efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how it supports progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Finally, we explore the evolving role of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of data and sustainability in publishing. All this and more with Dr. Michiel Kolman and Rachel Martin, authors of the article “What Can Data Tell Us about Publishing? How data can potentially drive progress in sustainability” [https://brill.com/view/journals/logo/33/4/article-p12_3.xml?language=en] published in the Brill journal Logos. [https://brill.com/view/journals/logo/logo-overview.xml] Host: Ramzi Nasir [https://x.com/ramzinasir] Guests: Dr. Michiel Kolman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michiel-kolman-%F0%9F%8F%B3%EF%B8%8F%E2%80%8D%F0%9F%8C%88-5a4a70/] and Rachel Martin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelrcmartin/]