Unethical but Legal Technical Writing Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

One of the aspects of technical communication is writing a report that requires gathering information from various sources and presenting this information to the audience in a concise way. Suppose that a technical writer is researching the impact of a siesta on the performance of engineers. If this writer works for an organization that requires them to write about a negative effect of a catnap, they will try to find appropriate information in various scholarly sources. However, if an academic article demonstrates a positive impact of a siesta, but the writer distorts this data in favor of their organization, such an action will be unethical but not illegal.

On the one hand, the workers of this organization may believe that their employer is right, and they do not need a siesta. On the other hand, if the author knows the truth and does not inform the colleagues about it, they will lie to them, which is unethical. If a technical writer does not want to damage relationships with co-workers and to feel remorse, they should avoid such behavior.

In addition, if a technical writer forgets to cite the source or does not cite it intentionally, thus misleading their audience, their action will also be unethical but not illegal. In the United States, plagiarism is not a crime, but it is often considered unethical (Wex Definitions Team, 2021). It may violate other people’s property rights, honor, and code of ethics and result in disciplinary actions. Moreover, plagiarizing another person’s words may ruin a technical writer’s reputation and relationships with their co-workers, friends, and employers. Since both examples of unethical behavior may negatively affect the relationships between the organization and its audience, such behavior should be avoided even though it is not illegal.

Reference

Wex Definitions Team. (2021). Plagiarism. Legal Information Institute. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, December 25). Unethical but Legal Technical Writing. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unethical-but-legal-technical-writing/

Work Cited

"Unethical but Legal Technical Writing." IvyPanda, 25 Dec. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/unethical-but-legal-technical-writing/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Unethical but Legal Technical Writing'. 25 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Unethical but Legal Technical Writing." December 25, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unethical-but-legal-technical-writing/.

1. IvyPanda. "Unethical but Legal Technical Writing." December 25, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unethical-but-legal-technical-writing/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Unethical but Legal Technical Writing." December 25, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unethical-but-legal-technical-writing/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
1 / 1