5 sources of ethical standards in technical writing

What do we do in those situations? 2 Misleading and regular bar graphs. In other words, these ethical codes are meant to guide mental health professionals in making the best ethical decisions on a regular basis. Consequentialist theories typically focus on ethical consequences from specific actions and include at least three distinct approaches: utilitarian, egoistic, and common good approaches. Non-consequentialist theories focus on the intentions of the individual making ethical decisions about specific actions. In 1892 the American Psychological Association (APA) was founded in the United States. That means a technical writer must consciously identify his/her biases and check to see if a bias has influenced any presentation: whether 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 Writing by Allison Gross, Annemarie Hamlin, Billy Merck, Chris Rubio, Jodi Naas, Megan Savage, and Michele DeSilva is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 It is important for psychologists to treat people equally. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. 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. Sociology These are important aspects of technical writing, to be sure, but they really only represent the surface of what you need to know. When writers present information visually, however, they have to be careful not to misrepresent or misreport the complete picture. Should I write what my supervisor wants me to write even though I know its wrong? Private conduct is not subject to scrutiny by the APA's ethics committee. So in the world of academic scholarship you are actually expected to learn new things from others AND come to new insights on your own. I feel like its a lifeline. The Fairness or Justice Approach Aristotle and other Greek philosophers have contributed the idea that all equals should be treated equally. When we relate the new things we have learned to our family, friends, or co-workers, we may or may not fill them in on how these thoughts came to us. Its helpful to understand both the theory behind citing, as well as the mechanics of it, to really become a pro. All sources must be referenced accurately in the text and cited on a reference page.This rule also extends beyond writing to what is referred to as intellectual property. Additionally, we assist other persons in our profession through mentoring, networking, and instruction. 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. For instance, in research, deception can involve fabricating or manipulating results in some way to achieve desired outcomes. [3] Ethical issues are inherent in technical communication because what we write can positively or negatively influence others. University of Phoenix This website helped me pass! Rachel has worked with several businesses developing policies on customer experience and administration. It also follows a logical and recognizable structure of stating the main point first and then following it with reasons, examples, and/or other forms of evidence. This problem has been solved! Business ethics, STATEMENT OF ETHICAL PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IMA STATEMENT OF ETHICAL PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Members of IMA shall behave ethically. Including 2010 and 2016 Amendments. The term academic misconduct includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. The Utilitarian Approach Some ethicists emphasize that the ethical action is the one that provides the most good or does the least harm, or, to put it another way, produces the greatest balance of good over harm. Virtue ethics asks of any action, "What kind of person will I become if I do this?" or "Is this action consistent with my acting at my best?" Similarly, take a look at the bar graphs in figure 2 below. Ethical Standards Collecting information from multiple brokers would demonstrate thorough and unbiased research. 1948;3(3):8084.https://doi.org/10.1037/h0060281, Conlin WE, Boness CL. Today we use this idea to say that ethical actions treat all human beings equally-or if unequally, then fairly based on some standard that is defensible. Where can I read the APA's Code of Ethics? When you can communicate clearly and effectively, and when it is your task to help others to understand an object, a process, or a procedure, it is your responsibility to do so in an ethical fashion. Figure 1.3. General prohibition on solicitation or acceptance of gifts. Technical writers must also use accurate numbers to report data, avoiding charts and tables that skew data. This standard focuses on expectations for behavior when psychologists are teaching or training students. Please take a few moments to read the Office of Undergraduate Education web page that describes these values in more detail. They provide a fair foundation for all research work for the participant and for the researcher. There is an implicit understanding that as a student you will be both using others knowledge as well as your own insights to create new scholarship. You probably think about technical writing in relation to communicating technical information clearly in an accessible format that meets the needs of its audience. Watch the following video, Appropriate Language in Technical Writing from Tamara Powell, who explains, among other things, how language becomes an ethical concern if it is imprecise or disrespectful: 1.3 Ethics in Technical Communication by Will Fleming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Working with patients and conducting psychological research can pose various ethical and moral issues that must be addressed. This may be a system of laws, effective police and fire departments, health care, a public educational system, or even public recreational areas. Ethical warfare balances the. What do you do? They provide data in a concentrated form, often illustrating key facts, statistics or information from the text of the report. 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. Hamlin, Annemarie, Chris Rubio, and Michele DeSilva, "Typical Ethics Issues in Technical Writing," licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. However it seems that some Christians within the body of Christ have embraced relativism because of living in a post-modern society. This includes advice for what researchers should do when their work is misrepresented and when to report ethical violations. This standard also states that faculty members are not allowed to provide psychotherapy services to their students. Psychotherapists in danger: The ethics of responding to client threats, stalking, and harassment. 6. Bible, Ethical Standards and Codes We do not perform work outside our job scope during hours compensated by clients or employers, except with their permission; nor do we use their facilities, equipment, or supplies without their approval. Before using another person's work, we . Areas that are addressed include the importance of obtaining informed consent and explaining the treatment process to clients. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. What if the writer discovers that a company falsified data about the effectiveness of its product? What Happens If a Therapist Violates the APA's Ethical Codes? The Society for Technical Communication advances technical communication as the discipline of transforming complex information into usable content for products, processes, and services. It helped me pass my exam and the test questions are very similar to the practice quizzes on Study.com. Psychologists who advertise their services must ensure that they accurately depict their training, experience, and expertise. When Did the APA Publish Its Code of Ethics? When you are writing and performing research, make sure you are citing the sources of your information and giving credit to all the necessary researchers. succeed. Verywell Mind's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Ethical considerations for addressing distorted beliefs in psychotherapy. To see the full definition of academic misconduct, refer to the Ohio State University Code of Student Conduct. 16 lessons. In most universities, plagiarism is a breach of the student code of conduct and can result in failure . Confidentiality is addressed, as well as some of the limitations to confidentiality, such as when a client poses an immediate danger to himself or others. identification, recognition and implementation of high ethical standards. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is prima facie evidence for the . Thanks to Eleanor Sumpter-Latham, Humanities/Writing Professor at Central Oregon Community College for contributing to this chapter. If we look at it carefully, we see that the main point (or main clause) is simply: The prosecutor argued that the defendant was guilty of homicide. Rather than starting the paragraph with that sentence, note how the writer has chosen instead to break it up by using a list of parenthetical points about the defendant (he was at the scene of the crime, he had a strong revenge motive, and he had access to the murder weapon), which in this case works to subordinate (or de-emphasize) the main point. It is hard to talk about citation practices without considering some related concepts. Psychotherapy (Chic). It also states that people have a right to access and benefit from advances that have been made in the field of psychology. The percentage of companies with "strong" or "strong-leaning" ethics cultures climbed to 66 percent last year . Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). You do this by citing the work of others. It has known side effects, but is released anyhow because the disease that the drug successfully treats is more damaging than the side effects. The purpose of this, Premium Plagiarism is defined by the OSU First Year Experience Office in this way: At any stage of the writing process, all academic work submitted to the teacher must be a result of a students own thought, research or self-expression. What do you notice about their presentation? Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you In 1948, APA president Nicholas Hobbs said, "[The APA Code of Ethics] should be of palpable aid to the ethical psychologist in making daily decisions.". Psychologists are obligated to take reasonable precautions to keep client information private. Customs and Traditions: Practices that are handed over from generation to generation become part of societal standards. Making good ethical decisions requires a trained sensitivity to ethical issues and a practiced method for exploring the ethical aspects of a decision and weighing the considerations that should impact our choice of a course of action. This standard outlines professional expectations within the context of providing therapy. Ethics has become an increasingly prominent topic within the field of technical communication. APA Code of Ethics: Principles, Purpose, and Guidelines. The educational opportunities that STC members gain access to offer a breadth of continuing education knowledge in a variety of formats including webinars, online courses, Summit sessions, and more. At no time is it acceptable to rearrange information in order to attempt to indicate that the writer is the source of someone elses idea or to indicate that the writer read a report that included information he/she cited, when the primary source of the information was cited in another report. Philosophy Even more common is an ethics violation resulting from the person who is designing the information seeing it as evidence for whatever s/he understands as true and honestly not recognizing the bias in how s/he has presented that information. Words are powerful, especially in written documents. The list of moral rights -including the rights to make ones own choices about what kind of life to lead, to be told the truth, not to be injured, to a degree of privacy, and so on-is widely debated; some now argue that non- humans have rights, too. This includes guidelines for dealing with sexual harassment, and discrimination, avoiding harm during treatment and avoiding exploitative relationships (such as a sexual relationship with a student or subordinate). Various sources of ethics can be broadly summarized as below: Religion: Religion is the most important source of ethics as religious teachings often prescribe what is right and wrong and society subscribes to such norms. You plagiarize when you fail to acknowledge the work of others and do not follow appropriate citation guidelines. Using any type of fallacies in technical writing is unethical and could result in dire consequences (see the Space Shuttle Challengerand the Behind the Lion Air Crash articles as examples). Up to this point, you have probably been thinking about technical writing in relation to communicating technical information clearly in an accessible format that meets the needs of its audience. 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. The more novel and difficult the ethical choice we face, the more we need to rely on discussion and dialogue with others about the dilemma. The Society for Technical Communication identifies six ethical principles to which its members should adhere: Legality, Honesty, Confidentiality, Quality, Fairness, and Professionalism. We also pursue professional self-improvement, especially through courses and conferences. The principle of justice says that mental health professionals have a responsibility to be fair and impartial. A person following his, Premium In other words, you must cite all the sources you quote directly, paraphrase, or summarize as you: Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Serving as a mentor, taking part in peer review, and pointing out ethical concerns or misconduct are examples of how this principle might be put into action. Intellectual property includes the following: None of the above items can be used without proper recognition of or approval from the appropriate company or individual involved. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. In terms of research, record-keeping involves detailing how studies were performed and the procedures that were used. It may be impossible for your professor to determine whether plagiarized work was intentional or unintentional. Maintaining accurate records is an important part of a psychologists work, whether the individual is working in research or with patients. As far back as the Middle Ages there has been professional associations in place to regulate as well as discipline the members and constrain behaviors. 5 Sources of Ethical Standards 5 sources of ethical standards wednesday, october 14, 2015 2:15 pm five sources of ethical standards the utilitarian approach. This chapter shows you one traditional design. Access to our industry-leading publications: Intercom, Technical Communication journal, STCs Notebook blog, newsletters, and the Body of Knowledge (TCBOK). It is useful to think of ethics as the appropriate methods for actions and relating to others in a given environment. This principle encourages psychologists to strive to eliminate biases, affiliations, and prejudices that might influence their work. Psychotherapy (Chic). Ethics refers to the choices we make that affect others for good or ill.Ethics can also be defined as a set of agreed upon rules (sometimes explicit but often implied) put forth by a company or organization. STCs global community of technical communicators. The science of ethics: Deception, the resilient self, and the APA code of ethics, 1966-1973. Morality 5. We obtain releases from clients and employers before including any business-sensitive materials in our portfolios or commercial demonstrations or before using such materials for another client or employer. Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. This approach suggests that the interlocking relationships of society are the basis of ethical reasoning and that respect and compassion for all others-especially the vulnerable are requirements of such reasoning. These sources should demonstrate that the writer has examined the topic from as many angles as possible. Ethics in Technical Writing 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. Which choice is really more ethical? Policy Related to Psychologists' Work in National Security Settings and Reaffirmation of the APA Position Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. We can make this sentence more ethically responsible by simply putting the main clause up front and then following it with the three supporting points: The prosecutor argued that the defendant was guilty of homicide. This chapter was written by Annemarie Hamlin, Chris Rubio, and Michele DeSilva, Central Oregon Community College, and is licensedCC-BY 4.0. Technical Reports: Components and Design, 11. Where can I learn more and/or ask questions about the APA Code of Ethics? Basic Design and Readability in Publications, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 5: Advertising and Other Public Statements, Everything to Know About Informed Consent. 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To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. It is important that psychologists practice within their area of expertise. We disclose business-sensitive information only with their consent or when legally required to do so. An Employee's Ethical Obligation to an Organization, Legitimate and Illegitimate Political Behavior in Organizations, Risk Identification: Advantages & Disadvantages, The 4 Ethical Rules Applied to Business Decisions. State psychological associations, professional groups, licensing boards, and government agencies may also choose to impose penalties against the psychologist. When practiced regularly, the method becomes so familiar that we work through it automatically without consulting the specific steps. Ethics in Technical Writing. Jesus 2019;56(4):449-458. doi:10.1037/pst0000252, Stark L. The science of ethics: Deception, the resilient self, and the APA code of ethics, 1966-1973. J Hist Behav Sci. Plagiarism Plagiarism can occur on purpose or be accidental. The utilitarian approach deals with consequences; it tries both to increase the good done and to reduce the harm done. 2635.202. Imagine, further, that the company cannot afford to dispose of this waste more safely and that, if you turn them in, the company will close down, most of the town will be unemployed, and the towns entire economy will collapse. 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. Imagine that the company disposes of its chemical waste in a way that could endanger peoples health. ""Being ethical is doing what the law requires. To the best of our ability, we provide truthful and accurate communications. Academic misconduct includes many different unacceptable behaviors, but the one most relevant to what we are discussing here is submitting plagiarized work: Submitting plagiarized work for an academic requirement. ost stereotyping takes place subconsciously now since workplaces are careful to not openly discriminate. The guidance is informed by the most recent body of knowledge from the UK Statistics Authority's Data Ethics Principles and Framework; the Economic and Agile Supply Chain Strategies & Examples | What is an Agile Supply Chain? When you are a student, an accurate representation of your knowledge is important because it will allow both you and your professors to know the extent to which you have developed as a scholar. The formal component of the scholarly communication system, that is to say the publication of an article in a peer reviewed learned journal, serves many purposes outside of simple communication. See How to Cite Sources for details. That means a technical writer must consciously identify his/her biases and check to see if a bias has influenced any presentation: whether in charts and graphs, or in discussions of the evidence, or in source use (or, of course, in . My mother was a recovering alcoholic and a push-over my step-father was an ex-con and racist my biological father was handicapped but brilliant and my step brother and sister were spoiled and defiant! If you were writing a report on the real estate market in Central Oregon, you would not collect data from only one brokers office. APA's Ethical Codes: The Five Ethical Principles, Principle A: Beneficence and Non-Maleficence, Principle E: Respect for People's Rights and Dignity, Why Therapists Say Cultural Safety Is Essential in Mental Healthcare. Businesses adopt one or some of these theories to determine what they believe to be ethical behavior.

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