Authorship and Responsibility: The Problem of Special Knowledge  

The ethical questions that technical communicators face frequently present themselves obliquely, arising because the communicators depend heavily upon the special knowledge of other people who provide necessary information. The special knowledge that communicators lack and others possess may come from highly technical education, privileged access to information sources, or socially constructed access to information. Proponents of need-to-know policies may argue that limiting communicators' knowledge absolves them of responsibility for the information's veracity and effects; however, more ethically rigorous considerations of the issue consider communicators' authorial roles, their right to know, and their responsibility to their audiences.

Bryan, John G. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Ethics

The Browser War: An Ethical Analysis of the Struggle between Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice    

The ongoing antitrust battle between the U.S. Department of Justice and Microsoft Corporation presents technical communicators with two ethical questions: 1) Is it right, good, or fair for Microsoft to give away its Internet Explorer browser? 2) If Microsoft gains monopoly control over the PC browser market, will this be good for us? This article examines these questions using traditional rights-based ethical theory (Kant), utilitarianism, and John Rawls principles of justice, concluding that it is neither good nor fair for a company having a near-monopoly over a market to sell products below fair market value, nor is it good that one company stands to gain monopoly control over the PC browser market. When the discussion turned to Netscape, one Intel executive, who asked not to be identified, recalled Martiz [Paul Martiz, Microsoft Group Vice President, Platforms & Application] saying: "We are going to cut off their air supply. Everything they re selling, we re going to give away for free" [1]. "We re giving away a pretty good browser as part of the operating system. How long can they survive selling it?"--Statement by Steve Ballmer, Microsoft President and CEO [2]. "Our business model works even if all Internet software is free," says Mr. Gates. "We are still selling operating systems." <em>Netscape</em>, in contrast, is dependent upon its Internet software for profits, he points out.--Statements by Bill Gates, Microsoft Chairman [3]. Only a monopolist could study a competitor and destroy its business by giving away products--Statement by Scott McNealy, Sun Microsystems Chairman [4].

Meier, Dennis. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (1999). Articles>TC>Ethics>Web Browsers

Ethics and Technical Communication: The Past Quarter Century    

Ethics as a topic in technical communication has grown in interest in the past quarter century as the field itself has matured. We now understand technical communication as involved in communicating not only technical information but also values, ethics, and tacit assumptions represented in goals. It also is involved in accommodating the values and ethics of its many audiences. This understanding is linked to an awareness of the social nature of all discourse and the root interconnectedness of rhetoric and ethics. This article presents an introduction and annotated bibliography of articles from technical writing and communication journals over this period, arranged in categories of professional, academic, and systematic approaches. Ethics is broadly conceived to include not only particular theories but also systems of values and principles.

Dombrowski, Paul M. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2000). Articles>TC>Ethics>History

Ethics in Action: A "No-Talk" Workshop  

This workshop takes the study of ethics in technical communication to the next level—translating values into action. In recent years, the presenters have conducted numerous workshops focusing on the use of value analysis to clarify and resolve ethical dilemmas. Participants analyzed scenarios involving value conflicts in technical communication, formulated potential solutions, and dramatized the scenarios in role-playing. This approach remains valuable; indeed, it is one of the tools the STC Ethics Committee uses to help members bring our values into the workplace. The core values have not changed much since last year: honesty, legality, cultural sensitivity, and the like can hardly be expected to fluctuate from conference to conference. This workshop, however, starts where the others left off. Participants had better bring pencils along with philosophy—because this time they won’t just talk about solving thorny ethical dilemmas, they will actually solve them!

Allen, Lori A. and Daniel W. Voss. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>TC>Ethics

Ethics in Technical Communication  

The key to ethical action is to behave with integrity that is based on sound core of personal values.

Gokhale, Sunil. STC India (2003). Articles>TC>Ethics

Ethics in Technical Communication: A Consensus?  

Ethics within Technical Communication, as found in the literature, is discussed to determine whether a meaningful code of ethics exists or can exist within STC. Authorities are cited to support a tentative conclusion to this question.

LaBara, Ann Marie and Russell B. Stoner. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Ethics

The Ethics Triple Threat: Proprietary Information in the Technical Communications Class and Practitioners' Workshop  

The use of corporate proprietary information is a major ethics issue in technical communication classrooms and practitionersâ*™ workshops. Some students and practitioners treat these settings as safe and sterile bubbles in which all present will honor confidences. Their actions cause ethical and legal dilemmas for fellow students, colleagues, and professors. Methods of preventing such dilemmas include student-employeesâ*™ following the codes of conduct established by their employers, practitionersâ*™ observing the behavioral codes set out by their professional organizations, and professorsâ*™ stressing ethical behavior in the classroom.

Jennings, Ann S. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>TC>Ethics

Evolution of a Disclaimer  

What if a disclaimer seems to be more than just a disclaimer? Readers are invited to consider the fictitious case presented and to share their thoughts for publication in an upcoming issue of Intercom.

Bryan, John G. Intercom (2006). Articles>TC>Ethics>Case Studies

Handling Ethical Dilemmas on the Job  

Experts in ethics will suggest approaches to ethical dilemmas in the field of technical communication and on the job with the 'Ten (+/-) Commandments of Ethics.'

Epp, Barbara E., Shirley A. Hancock, Jeffrey L. Hibbard, Connie Kiernan, Lawrence D. Kunz and Daniel W. Voss. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>TC>Ethics

Intuitive Ethics: Understanding and Critiquing the Role of Intuition in Ethical Decisions      

This article examines the role intuition plays in forming ethical decisions.  First, the article reviews examples of intuitive ethics in professional communication research.  Second, the article suggests that intuition is the naturalization of dominant cultural values and beliefs.  Third, the article considers naturalized values within institutions and organizations, demonstrating how naturalized values can lead to unquestioned and oppressive institutional practices.  Ethical inquiry, according to this view, investigates and denaturalizes those assumptions that are carried forth by intuition.  Fourth, the article offers a pedagogical example of this theory, demonstrating how a group of business communication students investigated the intuitive practices of a non-profit organization.  The article concludes by suggesting the value that a “critique of intuition” may have for the teaching, study, and practice of professional ethics.

Faber, Brenton D. Technical Communication Quarterly (1999). Articles>TC>Ethics

Limitations in Technical Communication Ethics: Mastering the Shades of Gray  

Technical Communication is changing rapidly due to the new global business community. Many of the ideologies and standard practices that have long been used to teach and guide technical communicators are not entirely effective. A new approach to ethical dilemmas in technical communication involves accepting limitations in order to overcome them. Most technical communicators are the liaison between many forces but rarely have the power for final decisions. When responsibilities collide it is often difficult to know what the best ethical choice is, given that most communicators learn about ethics in a controlled context or environment, such as academia. For a more realistic preparation, educators should acknowledge the limitations placed on ethics, such as politics, conflicting interests, and time constraints.

Witta Colosky, Jacelin. STC Proceedings (2001). Articles>TC>Ethics

Personal Values and Professional Ethics  

We consider the effects of personal values systems on codes of ethics and how community and professional standards of behavior may reinforce professional codes. We suggest that a professional code of ethics is strengthened and reinforced as it more closely follows this rich history.

Stoner, Russell B. and Ann Marie LaBara. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Ethics>Professionalism

A Response to the Special Issue on Ethics    

Whatever one claims to have said in oneï¿s narrative, whether ethical explication or narrative self-building, is not always under the selfï¿s control. The practice of self-knowledge argued for here is more accurately self-formation, a will to power over the self. What these authors propose is a valuable and powerful act of self-making through representation. This formation of narrative self-representation connects actions with identity, forging identity from fragmented memory. It requires an attempt to tell oneï¿s story as honestly as possible, and to resist narrating oneï¿s self as one desires to be seen. In the process, these authors assert, our self learns how to see itself through the lens of retrospection.

Salvo, Michael J. Technical Communication Quarterly (2001). Articles>TC>Ethics

Shades of Gray: Using Value Analysis and Ten Core Values to Resolve Ethical Conflicts in Technical Communication  

Ethical conflicts often defy black-and-white solutions. But gray can be slippery. This workshop demonstrates how to use value analysis to clarify ethical conflicts in technical communication. The presenters identify 10 core values that underlie technical communication and show how these values can be used to support objective analysis and resolve ethical conflicts. Participants explore ethical dilemmas 'hands-on' through small-group discussions and role-playing vignettes on selected conflict scenarios. This session follows up the 'Grayscale' workshop conducted at the 43rd STC conference-with all new scenarios!

Voss, Daniel W. and Lori A. Allen. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>TC>Ethics

A Slippery Slope: Using Value Analysis to Resolve Ethical Conflicts in Technical Communication  

Increasingly, technical communicators are confronting ethical issues in the workplace. Conflicts arise that appear to defy black-and-white solutions. To render every verdict as 'gray,' however, begs the question. Clear direction in the face of thorny ethical dilemmas requires objective value analysis, to logically reduce such dilemmas to clearly defined value conflicts. Once these conflicts are understood, the proper ethical path can more readily be discerned. This paper addresses the need for specific, real-world ethical guidelines for technical communicators. It also explores the possibility of developing a value analysis model to establish such guidelines. A typical model is applied to four representative ethical conflicts.

Voss, Daniel W. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Ethics>Assessment

Towards a Sense of Ethics for Technical Communication

Many articles from recent decades begin with the assumption that technical communicators do not have much power to make ethical decisions about their work. We need to start with a basic understanding of the relationships that technical communicators build with that audience in their work and identify ways in which those relationships might have ethical implications.

McBride, Alicia. Orange Journal, The (2002). Articles>TC>Ethics

Use Your Fog Lights: Ten Values for Technical Communicators  

Ten values that can be applied to technical communication are honesty, legality, privacy, quality, teamwork, loyalty, fairness (avoiding conjlict of interest), cultural sensitivity, social responsibilip,professional development, and advancing the profession. This article provides an operational definition of each value and a capsule-size real-world scenario that spotlights the value in an imbroglio of ethical conflict.

Allen, Lori A. and Daniel W. Voss. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>TC>Ethics

Improving Our Ethical Choices: Managing the Imp of the Perverse

Psychologists and ethics researchers say we can take simple steps to align our Want and Should Selves over the three phases of decision making and help keep the Imp of the Perverse in check.

Lamantia, Joe. UXmatters (2008). Articles>TC>Ethics

Ethics Case: The Engineered Résumé    

A proposal specialist must decide whether to pursue more information about a new coworker whom she has reason to suspect was dishonest during the hiring process.

Kuszmaul, JoEllen. Intercom (2008). Articles>TC>Ethics>Resumes