2.2: Using Information Ethically
- Page ID
- 290138
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Using information ethically means respecting the work of others and being honest about where ideas come from.
Plagiarism is when you use another person's work or ideas without giving them credit.
When Should You Give Credit to Another Source?
Anytime you use information that is not your own, that is not well-known factual information, you should credit the source. For example, telling someone that the boiling point of water is 100 degrees Celsius is a simple fact. You would not need to give credit to a source for that. However, very few pieces of information used in academic writing are based on simple, well-known facts. If you quote information from another source, you should provide information crediting them; whether it is a website, person, or video. If you paraphrase (or rewrite in your own words) that information, you should still give credit to the original source.
When in doubt, you should give credit to the source!
Why Should You Cite a Source?
Citation (or citing sources) is a process for giving credit to the original source of information, ideas, or words used in your work.
Citing sources is important for many reasons:
- Citing sources adds credibility to your claims by backing them up with other people's voices.
- Citing sources respects the work that another person did.
- Citing sources allows your audience to find and review those sources to get more information.
- Citing sources helps to avoid claims of plagiarism in classes. Committing plagiarism (or the theft of information) can cause grade penalties or other negative academic consequences.
Other Concepts in Information Ethics
There are a number of other concepts to consider with regard to ethically using information in your research and personal life.
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Plagiarism
Plagiarism is when you use someone else's work or ideas without giving them credit, like copying and pasting without saying where it’s from. Giving credit is important because it shows respect for the person who created it and shows honesty in your work. It also avoids accusations of academic misconduct in classes. -
Copyright
Copyright protects the rights of creators. Using someone’s work without permission breaks these rules. By respecting copyright, we support the creators who put effort into making things like music, images, and writing. -
Fair Use
Fair use allows you to use small parts of copyrighted work, like a short quote in a report. But taking too much can cross the line. Knowing what fair use allows helps us use resources fairly in school and other projects. -
Privacy
Respecting privacy means keeping personal details (like photos or phone numbers) private and not sharing them without permission. This keeps people safe and builds trust. -
Checking Facts
Sharing accurate information from trustworthy sources is important. If we pass along false information it can mislead others. We have an ethical obligation to try and share accurate information. -
Staying True to the Source
Don’t twist someone’s words to make it sound like they said something else. Being honest about what information really says is part of being trustworthy and ethical.