Ministry pushes for voluntary registration of author metadata

Inclusion of author information on Dutch scientific papers could help highlight discrimination and improve equality

The Dutch science ministry has put forward a plan to offer voluntary inclusion of metadata related to an author—such as gender, culture, race and religion—on scientific papers to improve equality.

The move has led to discussions in parliament, where some members expressed fears that it might cause bias as an author’s work may be judged on features other than the quality of the science. However, science minister Robbert Dijkgraaf said the move was important to create a level playing field.