About the Donor Conception Journal Club
What We Do
This is a learning community dedicated to exploring donor conception through multiple lenses. We translate complex academic studies into accessible, plain-language summaries, share personal and guest essays, and review books and media related to donor conception. We create a space where members of the donor conception community can stay informed, think critically, and explore how research findings, lived experiences, and cultural representations inform real-world understanding.
Our Mission
To make peer-reviewed research on donor conception accessible and understandable for all stakeholders, fostering informed decision-making and critical dialogue within the donor conception community.
Our Vision
A donor conception community empowered by accessible research, diverse perspectives, and collaborative learning—where evidence, lived experience, and professional expertise converge to support informed choices and compassionate practices.
Who am I?
I’m Laura Runnels. As the founder of this journal club, I believe it's important to be transparent about my own background and potential biases:
I am a recipient parent via sperm donation. While I ultimately conceived with an identity-release donor from a U.S. bank, I pursued known donations with both close friends and people I found online. I’m also the aunt of a donor-conceived child. This personal connection inevitably shapes my perspective and interests.
My background in public health informs my approach to analyzing research, but also means I have blind spots. I am not a professional researcher, and my understanding of complex statistical analyses or specialized methodologies may be limited.
I am a cisgender, white, heterosexual woman. My identity as a member of several privileged groups inevitably shapes my worldview and may influence how I interpret research findings, especially those related to diverse populations or experiences different from my own.
While I strive for objectivity, I acknowledge that my experiences influence how I interpret and prioritize findings. I may have unconscious biases that affect what I find most relevant or compelling.
Our Values
Transparency: We acknowledge our backgrounds, biases, and limitations. We’re honest about what research can and cannot tell us.
Accessibility: We remove barriers to knowledge by providing free, plain-language summaries and welcoming all members of the donor conception community regardless of their background or resources.
Inclusivity: We create space for all stakeholders—donor-conceived people, parents, donors, and professionals—recognizing that diverse perspectives enrich our collective understanding.
Reflexivity: We critically examine not just the research, but also our own interpretations, acknowledging how our identities and experiences shape how we understand findings.
Integrity: We commit to ethical practices—no monetization, no data sharing, and honest representation of research findings, including their limitations.
Respect: We foster dialogue where differing viewpoints are welcomed and discussed thoughtfully, creating a supportive learning environment.
Critical Thinking: We don’t just accept research at face value—we examine methodologies, question assumptions, and consider what’s missing alongside what’s present.
How to Engage
Read: Research summaries are posted twice a week, along with personal and guest essays and book/media reviews. In weeks when there’s nothing new published, we dip into past years’ research.
Comment: Share your thoughts, questions, and insights. Your perspective is valuable, whether you’re agreeing, disagreeing, or offering additional context.
Share: Tell others who are interested in keeping up with donor conception research and discourse.
Suggest: Come across interesting research, books, media, or have an essay to contribute? Email me at laura@dcjournalclub.com or mention it in the comments.
A Note About Access
This resource is provided free of charge to remove barriers to access. The email list is used solely for distributing content and will never be shared or sold to third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time.
I’m always looking to improve this space. Please share your suggestions, critiques, or ideas for making this community more valuable and inclusive.
