Ethics in Writing

Aside from avoiding plagiarism at all cost, there are

some generally acceptable standards of conduct
and moral judgment called ethics that you should
observe when writing. You should exercise
sensitivity every time you assert your personal
point of views or strong opinions, most especially
on societal or religious issues.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you
write, especially if your topic is of a sensitive
issue.
• Audience
• Information
• Values
• Approach
Audience. Your audience is diverse. As mentioned earlier,
you will never know in whose hands your writing will fall
into. So maintain a mental note to be fair and just at all
times especially when you insert your opinions on
societal or religious issues. Factors that make the reading
audience diverse are the following: gender, age,
educational background, occupation, religious affiliation,
economic/social status, and cultural background,
especially of those coming from other countries.
Information. Never twist nor distort your information
just so that it will benefit your purpose. For instance,
you should never say that eating lots of candies will
help your friend lose weight. In fact, you hid the truth
to your friend because he or she will get sick from
taking in too much sugar. Make your information rich
in substance, accurate, and precise. However, no
matter how much information you have, always
remember to cite your sources to avoid plagiarism.
Values. After weighing the audience and the information
that you have, you now have to balance them through
the values that you and the society uphold. Remember
that ethics is defined as acceptable moral standards and
judgment. Be responsible in what you write. Be honest.
Be fair. People will take your writeup seriously and can
make you pay for it if you are not careful.
Approach. How do you present the issue? Considering all
the other factors above and establishing what you wanted
to communicate, decide on how you will approach the
matter. Feminists have raised the issue in avoiding gender
bias in the language that you use. That's why you would
see a lot of "he or she in Write-ups. Some nouns that used
to be masculine in nature are now replaced by words that
are general or gender sensitive in nature.
Examples:
Steward (masculine) stewardess (feminine)
flight attendant (general)
Essential Learning
You should always uphold the truth in your writing by
observing morally acceptable standards and judgment in
your point of views. Be sensitive of your audience
especially on gender issues and cultural issues. Be fair
and stay unbiased as much as possible. No matter how
brilliant and true your information and/or ideas are, if
they are not presented well, they will not take the effect
that you intend.