6 Matching Annotations
  1. Jul 2025
  2. open.library.okstate.edu open.library.okstate.edu
    Chapter 4: Ethics
    6
    1. juliemcmullen 01 Jul 2025
      Without providing accurate citation information, the practice of cutting and pasting images is nothing less than plagiarism (or theft); it is unethical, and may be illegal if it violates copyright law.

      This ties right back to what I learned in my first-year composition class about how just dropping a URL under an image isn't enough. We had to practice full image citations in APA or MLA format, which felt tedious at first but really helped to show how easy it is to accidentally plagiarize if you don't do it correctly. I didn't see it as plagiarizing originally, but I learned the rule of law and integrity of it.

    2. juliemcmullen 01 Jul 2025
      You might notice that most of these ethics violations could happen accidentally. Directly lying is unlikely to be accidental, but even in that case, the writer could rationalize and/or persuade themselves that the lie achieved some “greater good” and was therefore necessary. This is a slippery slope.

      This is relevant to real-world cases like companies hiding safety problems or changing test results because they claim it's "for the greater good" to protect profits or jobs. You need to have integrity and be transparent regardless of how it might benefit you to do otherwise. The Volkswagen emissions scandal comes to mind because they tried to justify cheating emissions tests to stay competitive, but it ended up causing huge legal and environmental damage.

    3. juliemcmullen 01 Jul 2025
      As a guideline, ask yourself what would happen if your action (or non-action) became entirely public, and started trending on social media, got its own hashtag, and became a meme picked up by the national media.

      This is a good reminder that accountability isn't just about legal rules; it's also about how your choices hold up if everyone finds out. Bad behavior spreads so fast online now that public opinion can actually pressure people to act more ethically. If it's posted on the internet, it's there forever, so take accountability and be fair and respectful.

    4. juliemcmullen 01 Jul 2025
      This lie, though minor, preserves your friend’s feelings and does no apparent harm to them or anyone else. Some might consider the context before determining how to act.

      This ties into what we talk about in a lot of TCID classes about audience awareness. We learn how context shapes how you deliver information, like when to be direct or when to be more careful with someone's feelings. Trust and respect come into play here.

    5. juliemcmullen 01 Jul 2025
      his is one version of confirmation bias (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias)  – where people tend to favor evidence that supports their preconceived notions and reject evidence that challenges their ideas or beliefs.

      This part makes me think about my own research projects. Sometimes I've caught myself only picking sources that back up what I already want to say instead of looking for evidence that might challenge it. It's a good remiinder to check my own bias so I don't twist the info to just sound right.

    6. juliemcmullen 01 Jul 2025
      Many ethical lapses that occur in the workplace are not so obvious, and they often begin with good intentions – for example, a manager or owner of a business may commit financial fraud to avoid laying off employees. The intention may be good, but breaching ethics results in a slippery slope – one that often leads to further and larger ethical breaches.

      This really shows how integrity and accountability are connected. Even when someone's goal is good, cutting corners or lying starts a chain reaction of worse choices. Once trust is broken, it's hard to get back. I've seen people fudge small details at work to meet a deadline, but that usually creates more issues down the line and makes it harder for everyone to trust their work going forward.

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