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Prof. WozencraftENG227TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1
What is ethics?
Ethics is the study of the principles of conduct that apply to an individual or a group.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 2
In thinking about ethical dilemmas,four standards are useful:
• Rights—individuals’ basic needs and welfare.
• Justice—how the costs and benefits of an action or a policy are distributed among a group.
• Utility—the positive and negative effects that an action or a policy has on others.
• Care—the relationships we have with other individuals.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 3
You have three sets of ethical obligations:
• to your employer
• to the public
• to the environment
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 4
You have five obligations to your employer:
• competence and diligence
• generosity
• honesty and candor
• confidentiality
• loyalty
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 5
Four bodies of law are relevantto technical communication:
• copyright law
• trademark law
• contract law
• liability law
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 6
Courts consider four factorsin disputes over “fair use”:
• the purpose and character of the use, especially whether the use is for profit
• the nature and purpose of the copyrighted work
• the amount and substantiality of the portion of the work used
• the effect of the use on the potential market for the copyrighted work
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 7
Adhere to these four guidelines whenyou use material from another source:
• Abide by the fair-use concept.
• Seek permission.
• Cite your sources accurately.
• Consult legal counsel if you have questions.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 8
There are two kinds of trademarks:
• Trademark—a word, phrase, name, or symbol that is identified with a company.
• Registered trademark—a word, phrase, name, or symbol that the company has registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 9
Use four techniques to protect trademarks:
• Distinguish trademarks from other material.
• Use the trademark symbol (TM or ®).
• Use the trademarked item as an adjective, not as a noun or a verb.
• Do not use the plural form or the possessive form of the term.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 10
Contract law recognizestwo kinds of warranties:
• Express warranty—a written or oral statement that the product has a particular feature or can perform a particular function.
• Implied warranty—a warranty that is not written or spoken explicitly but inferred by the purchaser.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 11
Follow these ten guidelinesfor abiding by liability laws:
• Understand the product and its likely users.
• Describe the product’s functions and limitations.
• Instruct users on all aspects of ownership.
• Use appropriate words and graphics.
• Warn users about the risks of using or misusing the product.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 12
Follow these ten guidelinesfor abiding by liability laws (cont.):
• Include warnings along with assertions of safety.
• Make directions and warnings conspicuous.
• Make sure that the instructions comply with applicable company standards and local, state, or federal statutes.
• Perform usability testing on the product and on the instructions.
• Make sure users receive the information.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 13
Four elements of an organization’s cultureencourage ethical and legal behavior:
• ethical leadership• supervisor reinforcement• peer support• reinforced and embedded ethical values
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 14
An effective code of conducthas three characteristics:
• It protects the public rather than members of the organization or profession.
• It is specific and comprehensive.
• It is enforceable.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 15
Companies have obligationswhen communicating across cultures:
• They must not reinforce patterns of discrimination in product information.
• They are not obligated to challenge the prevailing prejudice directly.
• They must adhere to other countries’ federal and regional laws when exporting goods and services.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 16
Follow these ten principlesfor ethical communication:
• Abide by relevant laws.
• Abide by the appropriate professional code of conduct.
• Abide by your organization’s policy on social media.
• Take advantage of your employer’s ethics resources.
• Tell the truth.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 17
Follow these ten principlesfor ethical communication (cont.):
Don’t mislead your readers.Use design to highlight important ethical and
legal information.
• Be clear.
• Avoid discriminatory language.
• Acknowledge assistance from others.
Chapter 2. Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 18
Avoid four common types ofmisleading technical communication:
• false implications
• exaggerations
• legalistic constructions
• euphemisms