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I wrote my first heath/science story for a (student) newspaper in 1998 and on #WomenInScience day I am reflecting on how much easier it is to find women scientists to quote in 2021. Women are a force in research — and so much has changed even in the last 20 years.
That doesn’t mean I can’t and should do better in finding women scientists to quote. I do hope the next 20 years will bring even greater change and that I’ll have more success in finding greater diversity in sources. I’ll keep trying.
One last thought— there are wonderful resources for increasing diversity in sources (see this fabulous @Open_Notebook article https://www.theopennotebook.com/finding-diverse-sources-for-science-stories/). For niche science topics, I’ve become a lot more direct in asking male scientists which women in their fields might comment.
P.S. No one — not a single one — has ever been offended or balked at this question. In fact, people are really excited to elevate the voices of their colleagues.
