Why ethics matter - Technical communication ethics

Practical models for technical communication - Shannon Kelley 2021

Why ethics matter
Technical communication ethics

Abstract: The creation of technical content involves choices. As a communicator, you make rhetorical decisions and design choices. You also make choices about what to include, what to exclude, and how to transfer that information to your user. Sometimes these choices have consequences. Experts will at times encounter ethical dilemmas. When needs conflict is when you must think clearly about where you stand. Most professions have a code of ethics, and this chapter introduces you to guiding principles that will help you avoid distorting information, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and ensure that you respect yourself and the work of others.

Looking Ahead

1. Why Ethics Matter

2. Ethics Defined

3. Ethics at Work

4. Distorted or Misleading Information

5. Using Information Ethically

Key Terms

” ambiguity

” circumlocution

” citation

” copyright

” Creative Commons

” ethics

” euphemism

” idiom

” jargon

” public domain

Why ethics matter

Students and professionals alike need to understand the role of ethics in technical communication. Ethical communication requires that you be responsible and reliable in what and how you communicate. Making the right choice isn’t always easy—social pressures, stress, and time constraints can tempt people to cut corners. In spite of this, audiences still expect technical communicators to maintain high ethical standards and provide them with the correct tools to make informed choices.

Recent graduate Kamaal now works in the student advising department for a small college. Kamaal spends part of his time creating technical documents to help students learn about career planning. He needs to produce a document that provides students with up-to-date information about the job market. While researching online, he finds exactly the information he’s looking for in a report created by another college. Kamaal considers copying the information, presenting it as his own, and submitting the document for approval to his boss. This seems like a great way to save some time. Besides, who’s really going to notice?

Kamaal knows that copying information without acknowledgment is considered intellectual theft. It’s a convenient solution, and it’s unlikely anyone would notice. But what if Kamaal’s boss decides to fact-check his data and finds the original document online? Kamaal didn’t stay home from countless parties to study for his degree only to throw it all away with an unethical decision. Instead, he finds the original document, uses the information there to build his own document, and provides a reference list using Chicago style, which is what his boss expects.

Kamaal saw an easy way out, but instead he exercised professionalism by doing the extra work and fulfilling the expectations of his boss. An ethical communicator is just that: a person who is professional in all communication. If Kamaal had made the unethical choice and got caught, he could have lost the trust of his boss or his job. Even if he didn’t get caught, the choice to plagiarize is not harmless. If the original information was inaccurate or outdated, the end user—in this case, students—could have made serious missteps in their career planning based on what they read in Kamaal’s document.