Plagiarism and the Spirit of Ethics in Engineering

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Plagiarism and the Spirit of Ethics in
Engineering

• Scott Coffel
• Hanson CTC Director
• Mark Isham
• HCTC Writing Consultant,
• Visiting Professor, Dept. of English

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Two Comments on Ethics

• The world has achieved brilliance without
  wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world
  of nuclear giants and ethical infants.?Omar
  Bradley 1893-1981(US General, commanded ground
  forces in D-Day invasion at Normandy)

• Never give a sucker an even break.
• ?W.C. Fields1879-1946
• (Juggler, comic genius, alcoholic)

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Bonus SlideMore 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 its not illegal.

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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 12926 PM National
  Academy of Engineering Accessed Tuesday,
  November 13, 2007 ltwww.onlineethics.org/CMS/edu/in
  structessays/davis.aspxgt

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Ouch!

• Your report is both good and original, but
  the part that is good is not original, and the
  part that is original is not good.
• Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784 (Wrote the first
  dictionary of the English language)

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

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Credibility and Depth of ResearchStriking
the Right Balance

• Cite enough sources so that your audience trusts
  your conclusions and recommendations.
• Dont overload your reports with cited material
  at the expense of your own insights.

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Ethics Requires Precision in Thought and Language

• Precise writing establishes your credibility as
  an engineer.
• Simplicity and precision result from making good
  choices.
• To make good choices, you must go through a
  writing process.
• A good writing process requires drafts, feedback,
  and revisions.
• There are no shortcuts to good writing.

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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
  writers responsibility to an audience conflict.
• Some of the worst ethical problems result from
  tensions between competing responsibilities.
• Major concerns about style and tone reflect these
  tensions and these conflicting responsibilities.

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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.

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Thank You