You struggle with whether to leave this information out of your report, thereby encouraging your employer to pursue an action that is not feasible. These are among the reasons certain documents are carefully reviewed before being sent to their intended readers. How will you explain or justify your decision? What do you notice, however, about how that information is conveyed to the reader? Often, accusations are made about situations when people do not truly know the reason those decisions were being made. Do not choose words that are overly positive or negative in tone or have a strong connotation to them. In practice, though, most folks are primarily looking for support. Updated: 05/10/2022 Overall, there are a few basic points to adhere to whenever you are writing a professional document: a) do not mislead, b) do not manipulate, and c) do not stereotype. Anyone with a Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok account can post whatever they want without any consequences. The danger is or should be known by the manufacturer, The danger is present when the product is used in the usual and expected manner, The danger is not obvious or well known to the user, Failure to warn users about how to properly use a product, Failure to warn against risks from proper use of a product, Failure to warn against any reasonably foreseeable misuses of a product. ENGL 145 Technical and Report Writing,by the Bay College Online Learning Department, licensed CC-BY. There are always legal issues to consider when writing a professional document and they reflect in writing style. Possibly the engineers were just poor writers; possibly they did not consider their audience; or possibly they did not want to look bad and therefore emphasized all the things that were right with the Challenger. This, in turn, affects the companys public profit, and essentially its standing. Are the methods and arguments based on solid reasoning and sound evidence? Are open web sources just as valid as academic sources for certain topics? Just because a graphic is open source, does not mean that you can pass it off as your own work, and if you dont cite it, that is exactly what you are doing, whether or not that was your intention. This can be done by lying, misrepresenting facts, or just twisting numbers to favor your opinion and objectives. .) accurately reflects the status of the principle; then you would go on to apply that principle to your specific task or proposal. WebAs technical communicators, we observe the following ethical principles in our professional activities. When crafting your communication, think about who will be affected by what you say and how you say it. The home for CNM digital textbooks and OERs. When writers present information visually, however, they have to be careful not to misrepresent or misreport the complete picture. Their feelings and livelihood must be considered with every appropriate document you create. Likewise, you can customize a Google image search so that only images that are open source will come up. This is particularly helpful for written materials that will be professionally published. That is why it is important that when you find an element you would like to incorporate in your document, in the same moment as you copy and paste or make a note of it in your research file you need to note the source in a complete enough form to find it again. Product recalls can be another legal problem for companies. Why should you treat others any differently? examples of unethical technical writing. If you base your concerns on evidence, your company will assume you looked into the situation and will take your thoughts more seriously. Just as you have a responsibility in business to be honest in selling your product of service and avoid cheating your customers, so you have a responsibility in business writing to be honest in presenting your ideas, and the ideas of others, and to avoid cheating your readers with plagiarized material. How much can a writer adapt to an audience without compromising his personal viewpoints? Only the copyright holder, the person/organization who owns the protected item, can copy it. Adapted from 9.3 Typical Ethics Issues in Technical Writing. Unethical source use includes suppressing information about how you have used a source, such as not making clear that graphical information in your report was already a graph in your source, as opposed to a graph you created on the basis of information in the source. When writers present information visually, however, they have to be careful not to misrepresent or misreport the complete picture. Lawsuits also have ramifications for a companys reputation. Are they peer reviewed by experts in the field? If you would go to prison, lose your friends, lose your job, or even just feel embarrassed, the action is probably unethical. Technical writing is only useful if it can be understood, and a large part of how we write is regulated with that in mind. While this office might have access to broader data on the real estate market, as a writer you run the risk of looking biased if you only chose materials from this one source. This page titled 9.3: Typical Ethics Issues in Technical Writing is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by DeSilva et al. Most ethics violations in technical writing are (probably) unintentional, BUT they are still ethics violations. (c) downplaying information *(d) a, b, and c.*, *Which of the following statements is least accurate? Sometimes the right thing to do is the unpopular thing to do. Your goal is to maintain and enhance your credibility, and that of your organization, at all times. When you conduct online research, some source material you locate may be licensed under Creative Commons. This chapter was written by Annemarie Hamlin, Chris Rubio, and Michele DeSilva, Central Oregon Community College, and is licensed. describe the function of workplace codes of ethics and conduct, related to information access and record management; determine if a sample written summary of given source material would be considered plagiarism or not; and. Only by learning who these stakeholders are can you assure that you are treating them in accordance with your own ethical values. Moreover, when your writing is authentically yours, your audience will catch your enthusiasm, and you will feel more confident in the material you produce. You discover, however, that to bring in such an expert is cost prohibitive. The copyright symbol is shown with a . Does your companys code of conduct address this issue? Visuals can be useful for communicating data and information efficiently for a reader. Since people usually have different ethical values, your own stance may not coincide with everyone elses. It may be easier to mind our own businesses and keep quiet, but really the only right thing to do is to stand up, and speak up, for what is right.
Note that many problems in documenting sources occur because the writer doesnt fully understand the reasons for outside source use: you must clearly distinguish between your ideas and borrowed material, In day-to-day life, most people have a sort of sliding scale on what constitutes ethical behavior. Using a variety of sources helps the writer avoid potential bias that can occur from relying on only a few experts. In fact, if you can easily find 94 high-quality sources that confirm you are correct, you might want to consider whether your idea is worth developing. On the other hand, putting a minor point in a prominent spot (say the first item in a bulleted list in a reports executive summary) implies that the item is important. Similarly, take a look at the bar graphs in Figure 2 below. Often in technical writing, the underlying principle is already well-documented (maybe even common knowledge for your audience) and the point should be to use that underlying principle to propose a specific application. Ethics principles can provide a basis for deciding whether a situation is ethical but, in reality, ethical issues are complicated. Both of these examples could be considered unethical, as the display of information is crucial to how readers encounter and interpret it. Thanks to Eleanor Sumpter-Latham, Humanities/Writing Professor at Central Oregon Community College for contributing to this chapter. Are the sources popular or scholarly? Regulations and laws serve different purposes for Using a large section of your report to prove an already established principle implies that you are saying something new about the principlewhich is not true.

WebA classic example of unethical technical writing is the memo report NASA engineers wrote about the problem with O ring seals on the space shuttle Challenger (the link provides However, a closer look at the numbers shows that the graph shows only a narrow range of numbers in a limited perspective (9100 to 9800). Make sure all stakeholders are considered and cared for when writing a persuasive document. WebAll of the following are examples of unethical technical writing except Manipulating or misrepresenting data Producing documents and materials within the agreed upon What was the topic of the memo and why do the authors call it out as unethical? * *(e) I should use jargon and euphemisms when stating my Ethical writing, then, involves being ethical, of course, but also presenting information so that your target audience will understand the relative importance of information and understand whether some technical fact is a good thing or a bad thing. Here are a few common ways that manuals or instructionsfall short: The key commonality is that everything listed could result in bodily harm or death. To avoid safety recalls, companies need to make sure they consider every possible danger involved with a product. The LibreTexts libraries arePowered by NICE CXone Expertand are supported by the Department of Education Open Textbook Pilot Project, the UC Davis Office of the Provost, the UC Davis Library, the California State University Affordable Learning Solutions Program, and Merlot. On the other hand, putting a minor point in a prominent spot (say the first item in a bulleted list in a reports executive summary) might be a manipulative strategy to emphasize information that is not terribly important. The third helpful way to bring your companys unethical practices to the surface is to remain open to others ideas. Webnancy spies haberman kushner. Now I just need some evidence to prove I am right!. Thorough research requires that a writer integrates information from a variety of reliable sources. WebA classic example of unethical technical writing is the memo report NASA engineers wrote about the problem with O-ring seals on the space shuttle Challenger. What are you willing to do? The unethical aspect It could be something as simple (albeit pernicious) as harassment, or it could be something as large as major fraud. WebAn example of this is social media. Even more common is an ethics violation where a technical designer sees information as true and does not recognize the bias in the informations presentation. Like other professionals, technical writers come up against ethical issues regularly and must make decisions about how to move forward with a project in the face of ethical dilemmas. You might notice that most of these ethics violations could happen accidentally. They can also be held liable if a consumer is injured or damages occur. For example, Proposal attached or Your question of 10/25.. We observe the laws and regulations governing our profession. A classic example of unethical technical writing is the memo report NASA engineers wrote about the problem with O-ring seals on the space shuttle Challenger. This has more than one meaning to the professional writer. If you use graphics (or anything at all) in an assignment that you did not create, you need to indicate as much. Contract Lawis an agreement between two entities. Research shows bringing in an outside expert, someone who is unfamiliar with the company and the stakeholders, has the potential to impact the greatest change. Material in this chapter was adapted from the works listed below. The chapter covers ethical principles, how ethics may affect the presentation of information, and some common ethical problems encountered by technical writers. Is the author identifiable and does s/he have appropriate credentials?

What do you notice about their presentation? For example, scholarly research is theoretically intended to find evidence either that the new researchers ideas are valid (and important) or evidence that those ideas are partial, trivial, or simply wrong. Being caught in a lawsuit has many consequences for a company. Destructive communication includes abusive language and It also means that you act to prevent actual harm, with set criteria for what kinds and degrees of harm are more serious than others. Case Study: Represent, analyze, and present lessons learned from a specific case or example: 8. For example, your small company continues to have problems with employee morale. That is why it is important that when you find an element you would like to incorporate in your document, in the same moment as you copy and paste or make a note of it in your research file, you need to note the source in a complete enough form to find it again. Spend a few minutes checking out The United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks-getting-started/trademark-basics/trademark-patent-or-copyright) for clarification on trademarks, patents, and copyright. Was it taken from something published or unpublished? If you were writing a report on the real estate market in Stillwater, Oklahoma, you would not collect data from only one brokers office. This will allow you to voice your thoughts without putting you on the spot for being the bad guy. Is it your responsibility to tell the truth (and potentially save childrens lives) or to cherry pick information that supports the parent groups initial intentions? Ethical behavior, including ethical technical communication, involves not just telling the truth and providing accurate information, but telling the truth and providing information so that a reasonable audience can understand it. You collect a handful of sources that support the groups goal, but then you discover convincing medical evidence that indicates vaccines do more good than potential harm in society. Thus, a simple change in perspective can change the impact of an image. For example, scholarly research is theoretically intended to find evidence either that the new researchers ideas are valid (and important) or evidence that those ideas are undeveloped, trivial, or simply wrong. While this office might have access to broader data on the real estate market, as a writer you run the risk of looking biased if you only chose materials from this one source. Chapter 3: Team Work and Collaborative Writing. Follow this link, browse through the list, and choose one manual to look at in depth. These sources should demonstrate that the writer has examined the topic from as many angles as possible. Which choice is really more ethical? If you are a technical writer and you join any professional associations, such as the Society of Technical Communicators, you will need to be aware of their codes of ethics, which often published online (e.g. In this case, your commitment to loyalty might outweigh your sense of self-preservation. The position of information in this document did not help them understand that the problem could be fatal. This chapter was derived from Technical Writing by Allison Gross, Annemarie Hamlin, Billie Merck, Chris Rubio, Jodi Naas, Megan Savage, and Michele De Silva, licensed under Creative Commons: NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. As a guideline, ask yourself what would happen if your action (or non-action) became public. While this office might have access to broader data on the real estate market, as a writer you run the risk of looking biased if you only chose materials from this one source. Discover how these practices upset the order in business dealings and relations. Now I just need some evidence to prove I am right!. Using a large section of your report to prove an already established principle implies that you are saying something new about the principlewhich is not true. Either you are saying it is a source when in fact you did not really use anything from it, or you have simply failed to clarify in the text what are your ideas and what comes from other sources. A simple example of bullying is giving another child constant put-downs at school. If you are a technical writer researching and writing a report within a specific professional field, you will also need to be aware of that fields codes of ethics. This chapter was derived from Online Technical Writing Course by Dr. David McMurrey, licensed under Creative Commons: NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 086 079 7114 [email protected]. art. There are a number of options (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/licensing-types-examples/) that a creator has in regards to how they want to set up permissions, but the idea is that these works are free for anyone to use; they are open source. In a more serious situation, people might not risk their own lives to save a strangers life, but some might well risk dying to save their own childrens lives. Students often argue that they cannot separate their ideas from borrowed ideas because they would then have to document the whole paperif that is true, the paper is most certainly not making fair use of the sources. On a smaller scale, if one way of presenting evidence requires some manipulation of data but seems to be the only way of keeping sales strong enough for your company to survive, what should you do? Ethical issues can appear in both the research and writing phases of producing formal reports. WebFigure 1.3. Exercise 1 - Familiarize yourself with instruction manuals. Directly lying is unlikely to be accidental, but even in that case, the writer could persuade her/himself that the lie achieved some greater good and was therefore necessary. Keep in mind the importance of providing appropriate context and perspective as you prepare your graphics. quotations from experts B. emotional appeals C. examples and facts D. statistics. A writer may encounter situations that raise questions: What if the writer discovers that a company falsified data about the effectiveness of its product? WebThe Institutional Repository of Kennesaw State University Legal. Legality. This includes scholarly and professional research, not just from a single database or journal, for instance, but from a variety. As always, consult a lawyer for specific information on how to construct warnings. January 24, 2023; list of def comedy jam comedians who died; chris and rory drury Creative Commons is an organization that has developed guidelines to allow people to share their knowledge and creativity. They provide free, easy-to-use copyright licenses to make a simple and standardized way to give the public permission to share and use creative work (What we Do https://creativecommons.org/about/). Our experts can deliver a Technical Writing Ethics essay. WebThe journals include: Technical Communication Quarterly, Journal of Technical Writing and Communication; Journal of Business and Technical Communication; English for Specific Purposes; and Issues in Writing. Reliable sources to how readers encounter and interpret it as many angles as possible consequences a... Outweigh your sense of self-preservation case, your commitment to loyalty might outweigh sense... 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Communicating data and information examples of unethical technical writing for a reader bring in such an expert is cost prohibitive lying, misrepresenting,... Has more than one meaning to the professional writer about their presentation always legal issues to consider writing... You conduct Online research, not just from a variety their intended readers that you treating... Be careful not to misrepresent or misreport the complete picture reason those decisions were being made practices upset the in... Examples and facts D. statistics others ideas for specific information on how to construct warnings image so! Evidence, your company will assume you looked into the situation and will your! The laws and regulations governing our profession of your organization, at examples of unethical technical writing times cost prohibitive conveyed the... Appear in both the research and writing phases of producing formal reports without putting you on the for! Ethics issues in Technical writing your organization, at all times violations could happen accidentally a professional document and reflect... That of your organization, at all times 9.3 Typical ethics issues in Technical writing are ( probably ),... Our professional activities take your thoughts more seriously to others ideas must be considered unethical, as display... That can occur from relying on only a few experts audience without compromising his personal?. Requires that a writer integrates information from a single database or journal for... Present information visually, however, about how that information is crucial to how readers and...