The Democratization of Systematic Biology

Abstract

Science, like other sectors of society, is currently in a period of rapid social and cultural change. Demands for the decolonization and democratization of research culture and scientific data are prevalent. Systematic biology, as the research community that focuses on the existentially important issue of understanding global biodiversity, and as the standard-bearer for a field deeply rooted in colonialist approaches, has a unique opportunity to develop and model a meaningful and actionable vision for systemic change. Because systematics research requires sampling and analyzing planetary biodiversity, it operates within a global arena in which undoing exclusionary norms and practices, and reimagining a new kind of science that builds knowledge collectively, is both possible and potentially hugely impactful. Because of its history, the discipline has the potential to become a powerful model of intentional transformation. Professional systematists work and conduct research across natural history museums, academic institutions, federal agencies, national laboratories, international organizations, and the private sector and they serve as leaders throughout the disciplinary ecosystem; as a result, they are well-positioned to shape cultural transformation. We highlight just one example of a change lever (peer review of proposals) to illustrate this. Beneficial outcomes of such a new era of systematics will be extensive for continued research advances in biodiversity and phylogenetics, and for critical challenges that lie at the science-society-policy intersection.