Ethics in Technical Writing

Introduction 

Technical writing is an important skill that majority of professionals will have to develop irrespective of their career choices. It is a technique that an individual uses in the presentation of complex or technical information in a manner that is understandable or comprehensible to the targeted audience. Usually the author is writing about a subject that needs explanation, direction, or instruction. As a result, it is particularly different from other styles of writing in its purpose and characteristics. The subject can be tangible or abstract like assembling a bed or steps to improve individual fitness respectively. Despite the diverse nature of the information that may presented in technical writing, it is particularly important to note that one characteristic that stands out in the process is the incorporation of ethical practice. The following paper discusses the philosophy associated with technical writing and issues, problems, and challenges that may arise in writing. 

Philosophy of Technical Writing 

The field of technical writing is considered to be a draft of technical communication of information that can be used in technical and occupational areas. As a result, similar to any form of communication the written piece I usually focused, concise, free of errors, and targeted to a particular audience (Jones, 2016). Using such an identification of the factors associated with technical writing demonstrates high levels of truthfulness in the relay of information (Thurman, Dörr, & Kunert, 2017). For instance, when a technical writer would like individuals to understand the quality of a specific smartphone like Galaxy S10+ or iPhone X, it is important to note that the users have a completely different experience of the products as opposed to the creators. This means that, the users are not always well versed with the technological components of the device hence are more concerned of how the technology improves their experience (Thurman, Dörr, & Kunert, 2017). It is for this reason that the technical writer should maintain high levels of ethical standing as any information reported would be consumed without a second thought. The lie may only come out when the experiences described do match those described in the technical article. 

The other feature of technical writing is identification of a concise and focused piece of work. In this case, majority of the people who read technical reports are not ones who are well versed in the particular area and only seek to understand the basics of the process towards a given issue (Mechling, Gast, & Lane, 2018). For instance, The community in a town may seek to understand how a particular industrial company conducts the disposal of its waste product. The article should recognize that the target audience are not experts in the field hence the use of jargon is unnecessary. Instead, identification of whether the company’s practices are harmful or not should be noted (Jones, 2016). The report should be able to capture the attention of the reader and state the key point of the specific problem. The author is seen as incorporating ethical measures by avoiding excessive information and unnecessary jargon of technical terms. 

Issues, Problems, and Challenges 

The process of developing a technical report is one that identifies the need to conduct extensive research on a particular technical problem before presenting the report. Conducting research helps the author gather information on the subject under discussion to identify whether or not the ideas an individual or a group of people have are valid and correct (Mechling, Gast, & Lane, 2018). However, the internet can serve as a potential challenge to one’s ability to maintain ethical standards in reporting a technical issue. The age of the internet has created a lot of information where majority may be false or invalid (Jones, 2016). The researcher has a tough task of identifying which information from the thousands or tens of thousands available on the internet should be followed (Mechling, Gast, & Lane, 2018). The author should develop techniques that help in identifying the appropriate source and information that is valid for use in the report ensuring that it is free of error in terms of validity. 

Another issue that may arise in technical writing is the concern on which information or data should be discussed first. As earlier mentioned, the internet has been an integral source of gathering information about numerous if not all subjects (Mechling, Gast, & Lane, 2018). As a result, the immense information available may make it difficult to discern the relevance of each. It is evident that the presentation of the report will determine whether or not the intended message of report has been achieved (Jones, 2016). The Enron Scandal of 2001 exemplifies the lack of ethical behavior in technical reporting. When Jeffrey Skilling was hired as COO, he was able to hire other executive staff who were able to utilize accounting loopholes, poor financial reporting, and special purpose entities that would hide billions of dollars in debt. The approach is seen as a lack of consideration of the appropriate delivery of information and instead using unethical practices to cheat the audience. 

Conclusion 

Ethics in technical writing is an issue requiring high levels of concern. It is evident that majority of university graduates will become technical writers in their careers as they utilize their knowledge of a technical subject to describe it or relay information to a specific audience. Ethics is necessary first for the understanding of a report where the author knows his or her audience and relays information in a language they can understand. It helps serve the concise approach where only relevant information is presented to the reader. Ethical technical writing helps use appropriate data sources in the development of content for the report. Finally, it ensures that the collected data is presented in a manner within legal regulations that prevent cheating the audience. 

References 

Jones, N. N. (2016). The technical communicator as advocate: Integrating a social justice approach in technical communication. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 46 (3), 342-361. 

Mechling, L., Gast, D. L., & Lane, J. D. (2018). Ethical Principles and Practices in Research. In Single Case Research Methodology (pp. 27-42). Routledge. 

Thurman, N., Dörr, K., & Kunert, J. (2017). When reporters get hands-on with robo-writing: Professionals consider automated journalism’s capabilities and consequences. Digital Journalism, 5 (10), 1240-1259.