Plagiarism and the Spirit of Ethics in Engineering Scott Coffel Hanson CTC Director Jennifer Ambrose Assistant Director

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A Comment on Ethics “The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.” Omar Bradley (US General, commanded ground forces in D-Day invasion at Normandy)

Bonus Slide: More Fascinating Ethical Observations  Shoot first, ask questions later.  Rules are made to be broken.  Nice guys finish last.  Go along to get along.  If the boss does it, that means it’s not illegal.

Why Do Engineers Need Ethics?  Engineers belong to a community of practice responsible for designing, constructing, and maintaining the inventions of civilization.  There are few, (if any) mere technical decisions.  “Knowing how to calculate stress or design a circuit is in part knowing what the profession allows, forbids, or requires.”* *"Online Ethics Center: Teaching Ethics Across the Engineering Curriculum" Online Ethics Center for Engineering 6/19/2006 1:29:26 PM National Academy of Engineering Accessed: Tuesday, November 13, 2007

NSPE Code of Ethics Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:  Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.  Perform services only in areas of their competence.  Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.  Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.  Avoid deceptive acts.  Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.

Plagiarism: A Fancy Word for Unethical and/or Foolish Behavior

Let's Be Blunt About Plagiarism  The Latin term for kidnapper was “plagiarius.” As aspiring engineers, you need to know that kidnapping the ideas of others has consequences beyond your own prospects and reputation—  It also damages your college and the honest members of your profession by loosening the bonds of trust that tie us all together.

Credibility and Depth of Research— Striking the Right Balance  Cite enough sources so that your audience trusts your conclusions and recommendations.  Don’t overload your reports with cited material at the expense of your own insights.

What Professional Engineers Tell Us  They find team writing difficult.  They find writing for multiple audiences difficult.  Sometimes the demands of the team and the writer’s responsibility to an audience conflict.  Some of the worst ethical problems result from tensions between competing responsibilities.

Ethics Requires Precision in Thought and Language  Precise writing establishes your credibility as an engineer.  To achieve clarity and precision, you must go through a writing process.  A good writing process requires drafts, feedback, and revisions.  There are no shortcuts to good writing.

Summary  Ethical engineers navigate conflicts with an inner compass.  They also use the needs of the community as a guide.  They balance responsibility to themselves, their profession, and the world.

Thank You