The Essentials of Technical Communication: Chapter 3

In this Chapter

The third chapter discusses ethical issues in technical writing. It begins by listing the professional obligations of the writer. Then Professional codes of conduct are briefly introduced.  Different types of unethical communication are then discussed in detail. The chapter concludes with advice on managing unethical situations.

Professional Obligations

There are several different ethical obligations that may, at times, conflict with one another. You have an ethical obligation to yourself, your profession, your academic institution, your employer, your colleagues, and to the public in general. When these obligations do conflict, you must carefully consider the situation to determine which should take priority.

Many professions and organizations have codes of conduct which outline the ethical expectations of your position.  These guidelines can be helpful when faced with an ethical dilemma, but it is often necessary to seek advice from a mentor or superior. Some organizations have help lines for reporting ethical breeches and asking for advice about difficult situations.

Unethical Communication

The most obvious forms of unethical communication are plagiarism and intellectual property theft.  Plagiarism is the act of taking content from an external source and reproducing it as if it were your own. While it is alright to borrow from other sources, you must get permission from the owner to use the content and properly cite the original source. It is also important to be aware of other forms of intellectual property. It is important not to divulge trade secrets in unsecure forms of communication that may reach unauthorized readers. Written material is protected by copyright law as soon as it is created. Therefore it is illegal to reproduce copyrighted material without expressed permission from the owner (except for specific fair uses like criticism, teaching, and news reporting)

Another form of unethical communication is the deliberate use of ambiguous or confusing language. This type of writing can be used to mislead readers by hiding or exaggerating information. While this isn’t exactly lying, the results and ethical implications are the same. Technical writing should be candid and precise.  

The use of misleading statistics and illustrations is another problem that is very similar to using ambiguous language. The manipulation of numbers and graphs can be used to present information that is technically true, but is designed to mislead the reader. Again, anything which misleads the reader should be considered unethical and avoided.

Any element of communication which promotes prejudice is also unethical. Content should always be fair and unbiased. You should never draw wild conclusions which reinforce stereotypes. Not only is it ethically wrong to do so, but a reputation for prejudice will likely hurt your chances for promotion in your organization.

Uncritical use of information is also considered unethical. It should be obvious to a reasonable person that lots of incorrect, biased, and generally unreliable information is floating around in the world. As a professional, it is your responsibility to verify your sources and check the accuracy of facts used in your documents.

Managing Unethical Situations

If you find yourself in a difficult situation, use the resources available to you. Use codes of conduct, ethics help lines, and advice from people you respect to reach a decision.  When refusing to do something unethical, it is important to be polite and suggest an alternative. Avoid a self-righteous tone. You should make a decision that you could live with, even it became public and everyone knew about it.