Build an inclusive reading list

Consider whose voices are represented on your reading list and whose are absent.

Reflect on:

• The geographic, cultural, and social backgrounds of authors
• The balance between dominant and marginalised perspectives
• Whether scholars from the Global Majority, Indigenous communities, or minoritised groups are included
• How authors’ positionality or lived experience may shape knowledge production
• Looking beyond established “canon” texts where appropriate
• Including emerging scholars alongside foundational readings

If diverse authors are absent, consider the historical and structural reasons why.

Unsure of where to start investigating a more diverse representation for your module reading list or topic? Here are some suggestions. We also have several examples in the expandable section below.

• Take a look at this list of alternative and international publishers (with thanks to the University of Derby)
• Use OpenSyllabus to explore which texts are on similar courses from around the world
• Use Scopus or Lens.org as tools to discover material that originates from specific regions or countries.
• Explore Library resources in our ⁠Inclusive Collections databases.

If you'd like to discuss acquiring resources, please get in touch with your Academic Support Librarian or Reading List Team.

• Include Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race alongside traditional texts on race and identity.
• Physics: Add Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein’s The Disordered Cosmos (Black, queer physicist) to physics reading lists.
• Computer Science: Include work by Dr. Timnit Gebru, an Ethiopian-American researcher known for her work on algorithmic bias and ethics in AI.
• Engineering: Feature Yassmin Abdel-Magied, a Sudanese-Australian mechanical engineer and advocate for diversity in STEM.
• Mathematics: Highlight contributions from Dr. Edray Goins, an African-American mathematician working on number theory and mentoring underrepresented students.
• Biology: Include research by Dr. Raven Baxter (aka Raven the Science Maven), a Black molecular biologist who promotes science communication and inclusion.
• Chemistry: Highlight contributions from Dr. Raychelle Burks, a Black analytical chemist and science communicator, especially in forensic chemistry.
• Humanities: Include historians, theorists and authors from the Global Majority, such as Dipesh Chakrabarty (postcolonial history), Saidiya Hartman (Black history and critical theory), Ocean Vuong (queer Vietnamese-American poet) or Sami Schalk (Black disabled scholar)
• Humanities: Feature gender-diverse and LGBTQ+ scholars in philosophy and literature, such as Judith Butler or Paul B. Preciado.
• Art: Include work by artists and curators from marginalised backgrounds, e.g. Lubaina Himid (Black British art), Zanele Muholi (Black queer visual activism), or Yinka Shonibare. 
• Art: Highlight disabled and neurodivergent artists, such as Christine Sun Kim or Madeline Gins
• Law: Include scholarship by legal academics from underrepresented backgrounds, e.g. W. E. B. Du Bois (legal sociology), Gina Miller (constitutional law activism), or Nazir Afzal (criminal justice and safeguarding). 
• Law: Feature feminist and critical race legal scholars, such as Kimberlé Crenshaw (intersectionality).

Think about how readings are framed, positioned, and contextualised within your module.

Reflect on:

• How historical, colonial, or political contexts are addressed
• Whether texts are presented as neutral or as situated within power relations
• How disciplinary conventions may privilege certain voices or forms of knowledge
• Are diverse epistemologies (cultural, experiential, scientific) reflected?
• Is bias considered and addressed?
• Are local, indigenous, or community-based knowledges included?
• Acknowledge contested or problematic aspects of key texts
• How does the content challenge dominant or Eurocentric narratives?
• The balance between academic, practitioner, community‑based, and lived‑experience knowledge

Unsure of where to start investigating more diverse content and perspectives for your module reading list or topic? Here are some suggestions. We also have several examples in the expandable section below.

• Take a look at this list of alternative and international publishers (with thanks to the University of Derby)
• Use OpenSyllabus to explore which texts are on similar courses from around the world
• Use Scopus or Lens.org as tools to discover material that originates from specific regions or countries.
• Journals and Magazines: The Library has many international titles – have a look at our inclusive collections.
• Use reading lists as a space to model critical engagement 
• Provide contextual introductions to readings

If you'd like to discuss acquiring resources that are not currently available through the Library, please get in touch with your Academic Support Librarian or Reading List Team.

• Humanities: Pair Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart with colonial narratives to challenge Eurocentric views of African history.
• Environmental Science: Use indigenous ecological knowledge in environmental science modules, such as Robin Wall Kimmerer’s work on plant biology.
• Computer Science: Include discussions on bias in algorithms and ethical AI, using texts like Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil.
• Physics: Introduce discussions on colonial legacies in scientific discovery, such as the exclusion of non-Western contributions to astronomy.
• Data Science: Include critical perspectives on data ethics and surveillance, such as Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble.
• Chemistry: Incorporate materials that explore the social impact of chemical research, such as environmental justice in chemical manufacturing.
• Chemistry: Include indigenous knowledge systems in discussions of natural product chemistry, e.g., traditional uses of medicinal plants and their biochemical properties.
• Humanities: Pair canonical texts (e.g. Marx, Weber) with postcolonial or feminist critiques.
• Humanities:  Include oral histories, community archives, or narratives that challenge Eurocentric historiography.
• Art & Design: Explore decolonial art histories alongside Western art canons.
• Art & Design: Include indigenous, community-based, and activist art practices that question institutional power.
• Law: Introduce Critical Legal Studies, Critical Race Theory, and Feminist Legal Theory alongside doctrinal texts.
• Law: Include perspectives on law and colonialism, restorative justice, and community-based legal systems.

Make sure readings are easy to find, available in different formats (like videos or podcasts), and usable by all students.

• Is the reading list available and up to date in the university system?
• Are resources offered in diverse formats (e.g., videos, podcasts, blogs)?
• Are materials accessible to students with different learning needs?
• Does your reading list assume a single learning style or mode of engagement?

Unsure of where to start investigating accessible or diverse formats for your module reading list or topic? We have several examples in the expandable section below.

If any of your students have a print impairment, please refer them to the Reading List Team to request Alternative Formats for their textbooks.

• Check Library search for eBooks and journal articles which are more accessible than physical resources. 
• Check LinkedIn Learning, Box of Broadcasts or one of our other AV databases to see if there is a video which covers your topic.
• Offer podcast episodes from Code Switch or BBC’s The Inquiry as alternatives to academic articles.
• Refer students to the Library’s Alternative Formats Service to support those with visual or auditory needs.
• Science: Use podcasts like Science Vs for alternative formats.
• Chemistry: Provide interactive simulations and captioned video tutorials for complex lab techniques. JoVE Lab Manual is an example of one of the resources the Library subscribes to.
• Engineering: Offer audio versions of technical manuals and podcasts like The Engineering Commons.
• Computer Science: Use accessible coding platforms and screen-reader-friendly documentation for programming assignments.
• Biology/Health: Provide captioned video demonstrations of lab techniques and interactive molecular visualisation tools.
• Chemistry: Offer audio versions of key readings and use platforms like Chemistry World podcast for accessible content.
• Offer podcasts and captioned lectures alongside dense academic texts.
• Provide summaries or glossaries for complex theoretical readings.
• Art & Design: Include visual essays, exhibition walkthrough videos, and recorded artist talks.
• Law: Use case-law summaries, explainer videos, and podcasts (e.g. legal analysis series) alongside full judgments.

Pick texts that reflect your students’ identities and experiences. Let students help shape the list and include current topics.

• Do readings reflect the diversity of the student community?
• Are students encouraged to critically engage with authors’ positionalities?
• Is there space for student-led reading lists or contemporary issues?
• Can students contribute perspectives, sources, or examples
• Does the assessment support diverse ways of demonstrating understanding?

If you're unsure of where to start investigating student relevance for your module reading list or topic, we have several examples in the expandable section below.

• Link to annotations within Reading Lists to provide contextual information about the resource.
• Invite students to contribute texts that resonate with their lived experiences or cultural backgrounds.
• Include case studies on health disparities in biomedical engineering or climate justice in environmental science.
• Humanities: Include readings that reflect current student concerns e.g. migration, identity, mental health, and social justice 
• Invite students to suggest readings on topics like neurodiversity in tech or gender bias in data science.
• Biomedical Sciences: Include case studies on health disparities and genetic research in diverse populations.
• Physics: Explore topics like gender bias in STEM careers or representation in space exploration.
• Mathematics: Let students contribute examples from real-world applications in their communities, such as financial literacy or data analysis in local projects.
• Chemistry: Include case studies on chemical contamination in marginalised communities (e.g., Flint water crisis) to connect chemistry with real-world social issues.
• Sustainability: Invite students to explore topics like green chemistry and sustainable materials, which may align with their values and career interests.
• Art & Design: Include contemporary issues such as climate activism, protest art, disability aesthetics, and digital culture. 
• Art & Design: Invite students to contribute artists or movements meaningful to their own identities.
• Law: Include student-led exploration of legal issues affecting local communities.

Use inclusive resources as core materials. Spread diverse voices across the course and design assessments that reflect this.

• Are inclusive resources core to the curriculum, not just supplementary?
• Are diverse perspectives embedded across topics?
• Can assessments be designed to engage with a range of voices?
• Are canonical texts paired with alternative or marginalised perspectives?

If you're unsure of where to start investigating using inclusive resources as core materials for your module reading list or topic, we have several examples in the expandable section below.

LTEC have also provided some useful information around Inclusive Assessment.

• Instead of assigning diverse texts only in one module, embed them throughout the module- e.g., use bell hooks in both pedagogy and feminist theory units or discussing gender bias in pharmaceutical development during drug synthesis topics.
• Design assessments like video reflections or blog posts that allow students to engage with diverse voices creatively.
• Physics: Pair traditional physics texts with The Physics of Blackness by Michelle M. Wright in foundational modules.
• Design assessments that allow students to explore diverse contributions to STEM, such as video reflections on ethical dilemmas in AI or blog posts on inclusive design in engineering.
• Engineering: Embed inclusive design principles throughout modules, not just in ethics units - e.g., universal design in product development.
• Computer Science: Pair foundational texts with critical readings on bias in machine learning and inclusive software development.
• Biology: Use diverse case studies in genetics, ecology, and public health across the curriculum, and design assessments that allow students to explore these themes creatively (e.g., video explainers or reflective blogs).
• Design assessments that allow students to reflect on ethical implications of chemical research, such as video explainers or infographics on inclusive lab practices.
• Design assessments that compare dominant and marginalised narratives
• Art & Design: Use assessments such as reflective journals, exhibition proposals, or visual responses engaging with diverse voices.
• Law: Design assessments that ask students to analyse how law affects different social groups or to critique legal frameworks through an EDI lens.