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Resource Lists: IDEA

Guidance & Best Practice for using resource lists

Assessing Inclusion, Diversity, Equality and Accessibility (IDEA) in Resource Lists

The checklist below offers guidance on assessing equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in module resource lists, ensuring a broader representation of voices and perspectives in scholarship, including diverse and inclusive resource types, as well as providing equal access to resources to improve the student experience.

We welcome feedback and suggestions to improve this guidance. Please contact Academic Engagement Librarian Team  with your ideas.

 

Will students see resources that reflect their own background and communities, as well as those of others?   

Think about the diversity of your student body: not just where they come from, but wherever they might go to work after university. It will benefit all students, not just international students, to gain knowledge from a range of global sources and viewpoints.   

Which voices or perspectives are most prominent in the Essential and Further readings? Do the authors in your reading list represent a diverse range of global viewpoints?

Every individual’s perspective is unique and informed by their lived experience, in terms of community, social /economic background, location, and engagement with the world.  

Reading is an ideal opportunity to open people’s minds to the lived experiences and perspectives of others. Things to consider: 

  • Is the material predominantly Western-centric, or Eurocentric?  

  • Do the majority of the authors share the same characteristics, e.g. gender, ethnicity, levels of ability. 

  • Have you included authors with protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010 

  • Is the identity, or background of the author relevant in the context of the subject? 

  • Who is talking about whose experience and/or culture? 

Guidance specific for vocational programmes 

  • Have you considered all relevant perspectives e.g. for paediatric settings are you considering the parent/carer, the child, and the practitioner voice. 

Who are the marginalized voices and viewpoints in your field?  

Less-heard voices can broaden and enhance discussion in any academic field. It is important to consider how your subject is applied in wider society, and how different communities can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the body of research in your field. 

Do the publishers in your reading list offer a range of global and social perspectives? 

Traditional academic publishing is dominated by a small number of large organisations, based mainly in the US and UK. This results in a predominance of English-language publications with a Western-centric worldview. Things to consider: 

  • What is the publisher type? Academic, mainstream, independent? 

For more information or support contact the Academic Engagement Librarian Team 

What kinds of sources do we perceive to be of most academic value and why? 

Academic books, journals and papers are excellent and trustworthy resources, of course. But more varied and equally valid insights and viewpoints may be found via social media such as blogs, podcasts, YouTube, TED Talks and websites.  

  • Can you consider using a wider variety of media sources, which may be more inclusive of emerging voices? For instance: blogs, podcasts, non-peer-reviewed articles, white papers, videos. 

The Library subscribes to a range of film, TV, audio and image resources to support teaching and learning. Contact the Academic Engagement Librarian Team for more information.  

How accessible and inclusive are the resources on your list?  

Providing clear and consistent access to resources is very important for a good student experience. Things to consider: 

  • Are the resources accessible to every student? 

  • Is the list structured with clearly headed sections to guide students?  

  • Are the resources on the list annotated to provide context and guidance? 

  • Are there any broken links?  

  • Are the weekly/topic sections consistently embedded in Moodle? 

Including non-traditional resources on your lists, such as those suggested above, can improve learning by making materials more dynamic and accessible to a range of students. This benefits all students, but particularly those with sensory impairments, or neurodiverse conditions. 

Student feedback indicates that many students like to listen to material such audiobooks and podcasts while commuting or using the gym. Most of our eBooks can be easily converted to audiobooks using a browser’s text to speech function.

Please see the Best Practice guidance section for more information.

How current is your resource list?  

We recommend reviewing the currency of your resource list at least once a year. This is important to ensure the module content adapts to changes in the student body, emerging voices, recognising the dominant and/or minority voices in the field, and changes in policies, practices, legalisation, terminology, etc. Things to consider: 

  • Is the content reviewed and updated regularly? 

  • Is it reviewed in collaboration with colleagues, students, or other stakeholders? 

  • Is student engagement with resources (usage) monitored to inform any changes? 

Try to create a culture where students and other stakeholders share resources and discuss list content. 

Need help updating your resource list? Contact the Academic Engagement Librarian Team.