Ethical Standards

In Writing The
Related Literature
What is “Ethical Writing?”
 “A general principle underlying
ethical writing is the notion that the
written work of an author, be it a
manuscript for a magazine or
scientific journal, a research paper,
or a proposal, represents an implicit
contract between the author and
the readers.”
 Ethical Issues:
• Plagiarism
• Language Use
• Fraud
1. Plagiarism
- A term used to describe a practice
that involves knowingly taking and
using another person’s work and
claiming it, directly or indirectly, as
their own.
 - An act in which the writer tries to
deceive the teacher/readers into

PLAGIARISM
believing he/she is totally responsible for
or originator of the content.

Blatant
Technical
- Occurs when the writer is not trying to
cheat or deceive but fails to follow the
accepted methods of using and revealing
sources.
• turning in someone else’s work as your own
• Copying words or ideas from someone else
without giving credit
• Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
• Giving incorrect information about the
source of a quotation
• Changing words but copying the sentence
structure of a source without giving credit
• Copying so many words or ideas from a
source making up the majority of your work

FORMs of PLAGIARISM
2. Language Use
- A writer must avoid racially-
charged, sexist, offensive language
and tendencies; it is an ethical
responsibility of the writer to be
sensitive to the sensibilities of his
audience.
• Do not make sweeping generalizations about
a specific gender, ethnic minority, or any
category of people
• When referring to racial groups, use accurate
and politically correct terminologies
• Avoid overly inclusive racial terms, such as
Asian or Hispanic: be more specific by using
terms such as Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino
• Racial titles such as “Black” should be
capitalized

GUIDELINES in LANGUAGE USE

• Avoid sexist phrasing, such as gender-
oriented diction, for example: “Women are
often tempted by false promises.” Instead,
revise: “Human beings are often tempted by
false promises.”
• Remain conscious of how you refer to
individuals, even fictitious characters: using
“boy” or “girl” to refer individuals above age
of 18 may carry racial overtones and create a
patronizing tone.

GUIDELINES in LANGUAGE USE

• When referring to individuals with physical
impairments, always place the description
after the subject; for example: “the man who
is blind” rather than “the blind man”
• Omit language associated with negative
stereotypes, such as redneck and welfare
mother

GUIDELINES in LANGUAGE USE

3. Fraud
- The crime of using dishonest
methods to take something
valuable from another person;
fabrication of data
How to
avoid
FRAUD?
A. Honesty
- Strive for honesty in all scientific
communications. Honestly report
data, results, methods and
procedures, and publication status.
Do not fabricate, falsify, or
misrepresent data.
B. Objectivity
- Avoid bias in experimental design,
data analysis and interpretation,
peer review, personnel decisions,
grant writing, expert testimony, and
other aspects of research where
objectivity is required.
C. Integrity
- Keep your promises and
agreements; act with sincerity;
strive for consistency of thought
and action.
D. Carefulness
- Avoid careless errors and
negligence; carefully and critically
examine your own work and the
work of your peers. Keep good
records of research activities, such
as data collection, research design,
and correspondence with agencies
or journals.
Ethics in Reviewing
Literature
A literature review is the way to look at
the past: to assess the body of
literature, to synthesize previous work,
and to locate the gaps in order to
prepare for the future in directing the
research process.
The ethical issues regarding the review
of literature involves honesty with
professional colleagues:
- Report your findings with complete
honesty.
- Do not misinterpret, misinform,
mislead.
- Give appropriate credit when using
other people’s work.
- Avoid plagiarism.