If you need to use graphics from the internet, a good option is to look for graphics that are open source. The bar graph on the right, on the other hand, shows the complete picture by presenting numbers from 0-1200 on the vertical axis, and we see that the sales figures, have in fact been relatively stable for the past five years. WebEthical writing is also writing that acknowledges a range of perspectives on an issue. Remember, you must clearly distinguish between your ideas and borrowed material; and you must use borrowed material primarily as evidence for your own, directly stated ideas. They can also be held liable if a consumer is injured or damages occur. Learn more. On the other hand, 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. Quoting the work of others in your writing is fine, provided that you credit the source fully enough that your readers can find it on their own. What kinds of support material and sources are ethical to use? In day-to-day life, most people have a sort of sliding scale on what constitutes ethical behavior. 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. Presenting data in graphical form can be especially challenging. What advice does a trusted supervisor or mentor offer? The What does this treatment of space add to the work? For example, use a salutation like Dear Ms. X (external) or Hi Barry (internal). 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. WebAn example of this is social media. 1). 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. When writers present information visually, however, they have to be careful not to misrepresent or misreport the complete picture. They provide data in a concentrated form, often illustrating key facts, statistics or information from the text of the report. For example, your small company continues to have problems with employee morale. 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 For example, saving someones life should always outweigh the prospect of financial damage to your company. Are the methods and arguments used based on solid reasoning and sound evidence? . In fact, if we look at the same data in a differently oriented chart, we can see that Item C represents less than half of the donations than those for Item A. 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. For this reason, the general guideline is that instructions should be understandable, clear and concise at the fourth to sixth grade reading level. When writers present information visually, however, they have to be careful not to misrepresent or misreport the complete picture. Now I just need some evidence to prove I am right!. The most immediate concern regarding ethics in your technical writing course is documenting your sources. The candidate represented by the green slice labeled Item C, might think that she had received more donations than the candidate represented in the blue Item A slice. The data in each is identical but the pie chart on the left presents information in a misleading way (see Fig. The second idea Anderson describes is to use facts or reason, instead of accusation.
When you can communicate clearly and effectively, and when it is your task to help others to
We are taught from a young age that you should never rat on anyone, and staying silent is often easier than mustering the courage to reveal ethical corruption. Using a variety of sources helps the writer avoid potential bias that can occur from relying on only a few experts. More information regarding specific Creative Commons licenses can be accessed on the Creative Commons website. 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. 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. (Incidentally, the O rings had worked fine for several launches.). Professional documents can serve as evidence in disputes over contracts and in product liability lawsuits. A writer has to be aware and What will you do when you witness unfair, demeaning, and unethical behavior? For example, hiding some crucial bit of information in the middle of a long paragraph deep in a long document seriously de-emphasizes the information. As a guideline, ask yourself what would happen if your action (or non-action) became public. Therefore, the original owner of the material is denied a profit due to your actions. Chapter 7: Applying to Jobs Technical and Professional Writing Genres Ethical writing is writing with a level of inclusion, respect, and acknowledgement of diversity. Chapter 7: Integrate Visuals and Apply Design Principles, Chapter 8: Basic Principles of Readability, Chapter 9: Website Design-Composing for the Web and Effectively Utilizing Social Media, Chapter 11: Strategies for Peer Reviewing and Team Writing, Chapter 12: Engaging with Research: Finding and Using Valid Sources, Chapter 13: Avoiding Plagiarism and Integrating Sources, Chapter 15: Develop Effective Presentation Skills and Materials. What do you do? If you take the unethical route, odds are good that few (or no) people will realize you have done so, and you would not be doing anything illegal. For example, Proposal attached or Your question of 10/25.. To write ethically, you must also identify another group of people: the individuals who will gain or lose because of your message. 
Sometimes the right thing to do is the unpopular thing to do. Thanks to Eleanor Sumpter-Latham, Humanities/Writing Professor at Central Oregon Community College for contributing to this chapter. Adapted from 9.1 General Principles by Allison Gross, Annemarie Hamlin, Billy Merck, Chris Rubio, Jodi Naas, Megan Savage, and Michele DeSilva is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. It is easiest to first start asking questions. These are among the reasons certain documents are carefully reviewed before being sent to their intended readers. 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. 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. If you were writing a report on the real estate market in Central Oregon, you would not collect data from only one brokers office even if this office might have access to broader data on the real estate market because utilizing only one source may create the assumption that you are biased. Case Study: Represent, analyze, and present lessons learned from a specific case or example: 8. If the bar graph above were to represent sales figures for a company, the representation on the left would look like good news: dramatically increased sales over a five-year period. Only the copyright holders should profit from material they own. Learn more. 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. It is much easier to define what is not adequate. Up to this point, you have probably been thinking about technical writing in relation to communicating technical information clearly in an WebAll of the following are examples of unethical technical writing 2. Ethics in Technical Writing. These five examples of effective technical writing can help inspire and inform your work as a technical writer. Most stereotyping takes place subconsciously now since workplaces are careful to not openly discriminate. 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. 
We meet the terms of contracts we undertake. . For example, you might tell your best friend her new haircut looks attractive when in fact you believe that it does not. Collecting information from multiple brokers would demonstrate thorough and unbiased research. For example, saying that one test Also, when in a lawsuit, a company has to remember that all documents may be subpoenaed. If you plan on selling wares internationally, account for various regional requirements. For example, your small company continues to have problems with employee morale. Which choice is really more ethical? 5. In a far more serious situation, a person might not risk their lives to help a stranger, but they might risk their lives to help a close friend or relative. The material was edited for tone, content, and localization. Are the sources popular or scholarly? 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? The following is a short overview of the different aspects of using appropriate language. In the former case, if you valued physical courage above all else, you might be willing to step into a fight to protect a victim. WebQuestion: In the textbook chapter: Ethics in Technical Writing, authors Hamlin, Rubio, and DeSilva discuss a memo they refer to as "a classic example of unethical writing." If the bar graph above were to represent sales figures for a company, the representation on the left would look like good news: dramatically increased sales over a five-year period. Unlike personal or academic writing, technical and professional writing can be used to evaluate your job performance and can have implications that a writer may or may not have considered. Research shows bringing in an outside expert, someone who is unfamiliar with the company Chapter 1: What is Technical Communication and Technical Writing? Business ethics protect companies from legal liability and ensure that they treat their customers and team members with respect. Imagine you are researching a report for a parents group that wants to change the policy in the local school district requiring all students to be vaccinated. 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. In fact, if we look at the same data in a differently oriented chart, we can see that Item C represents less than half of the donations than those for Item A. The visual below shows two perspectives of information in a pie chart. What was it used for? Documenting source use in such a way as to either mislead your reader about the source or make identifying the source difficult is also unethicalthat would include using just a URL or using an article title without identifying the journal in which it appears (in the works cited/references; you would not likely identify the journal name in the reports body). Ethics is one of the most important topics in technical communication. . Does your professional associations code of conduct address this issue? What do you notice, however, about how that information is conveyed to the reader? How much can a writer adapt to an audience without compromising his personal viewpoints? If you would go to prison, lose your friends, lose your job, or even just feel embarrassed, the action is probably unethical. Contract Lawis an agreement between two entities. Is the author identifiable and do they have appropriate credentials? (c) downplaying information *(d) a, b, and c.*, *Which of the following statements is least accurate? You struggle with whether to leave this information out of your report, thereby encouraging your employer to pursue an action that is not feasible. You should spend some time examining your ethics and thinking about how and where they may be challenged in your career. You discover, however, that to bring in such an expert is cost prohibitive. The chapter explains the importance of articulating your own ethical code so you can be prepared when you find yourself in uncomfortable and/or unethical situations. See the Attributions at the end of each chapter.). You should ask yourself the following questions: Be cautious about using sources that are not reviewed by peers or editor, or in which the information cannot be verified, or seems misleading, biased, or even false. Thus, a simple change in perspective can change the impact of an image. 
The audience may find out too late that what you wrote only benefited you and actually hurt them. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. These sources should demonstrate that the writer has examined the topic from as many angles as possible. How much should a writer adapt to an audience without sacrificing their own views? In a more serious situation, a person might not choose to die to save a strangers life, but she might risk dying to save her childrens lives. Legality. That means a technical writer must consciously identify individual biases and check to see if a bias has influenced any presentationwhether in charts and graphs, or in discussions of the evidence, or in source use (or, of course, in putting the crucial O ring information where the launch decision makers would realize it was important). Technical manuals. Some might consider the context before determining how to act. Now I just need some evidence to prove I am right! This is one version of confirmation bias (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias) where people tend to favor evidence that supports their preconceived notions and reject evidence that challenges their ideas or beliefs. This lie, though minor, preserves your friends feelings and does no harm to her or anyone else. 308 qualified specialists online. In fact, if we look at the same data in a differently oriented chart, we can see that Item C represents less than half of the donations than those for Item A. This chapter was derived from Online Technical Writing Course by Dr. David McMurrey, licensed under Creative Commons: NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Collecting information from multiple brokers would demonstrate thorough and unbiased research. https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/, CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike, https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/technicalwriting/. As a guideline, ask yourself what would happen if your action (or non-action) became public. In almost every field, there are legal and professional consequences for committing unethical behavior, and often remaining silent about corrupt conductwhether the action are yours or a colleaguescan implicate you as well. With a stranger, your calculations may include how the stranger might respond to the interruption, and both of you may feel some embarrassment in the exchange. You should be aware of the code of ethics for physical therapists so that you work within those principles as you research and write your report. Can email communications be used without permission? Was the information simply copied and pasted as a whole or changed? Your goal is to maintain and enhance your credibility, and that of your organization, at all times. Copyright law includes items whose distribution is protected by law (books, movies, or software). A proposal is a persuasive technical writing document; it must convince the reader that the proposal idea To promote their cloud-based workspace product and explain how it works, Citrix Systems shares a handful of different business use cases using clear, persuasive language. This is a slippery slope. 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. European regulations are decidedly strict, and Asian laws are starting to follow suit.
Make sure as you start your research that you always question the credibility of the information you find. In practice, though, most folks are primarily looking for support. These types of unethical statements communicate character assassinations, prejudicial language, or slander. .
In a technical report that contains research, a writer might discover conflicting data that does not support the projects goal. 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. Collecting information from multiple brokers would demonstrate thorough and unbiased research. Visuals can be useful for communicating data and information efficiently for a reader. WebAs technical communicators, we observe the following ethical principles in our professional activities. Follow this link, browse through the list, and choose one manual to look at in depth. Visuals can be useful for communicating data and information efficiently for a reader. WebAs a writer, you may have to make the decision, or your client may indicate what type of document and when they want to use it. 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. Thus, a simple change in perspective can change the impact of an image.