Engineering Ethics©2014 Joe TritschlerDepartment of Biomedical, Industrial & Human factors EngineeringWright State University • Dayton, OhioEthics• Webster’s definition(s) of ethics:1. The study of standards of conduct and moral judgment; moral philosophy2. A treatise on this study;3. The system or code of morals of a particular person, religion, group, profession, etc.• Since the considered eventual profession for which you registered for this course is some type of engineering, engineering ethics is today’s topic.• Ethics may take the form of standards, rules, or guidelines for moral or socially-approved conduct• Based in honesty, truthfulness, and trustworthiness• “Acting in the best interest of society”• Legal Standards are defined in legal documents by a properly appointed body. Legal documents and legal experts determine what the law is and who must obey the law.• Ethical Standards are assumed to exist independently of any sanctioning body and are apparent to rational thinking. Written forms of the standards merely describe the pre-existing standards rather than define their very nature.• Ethical standards always supersede legal standards.Example: Ethics in Technical Writing• Finkelstein lists several ethical constructs listed traditionally in technical writing:1. Technical writers must be accurate in their work.2. Technical writers must be honest in their work.3. Technical writers must always honor their obligations.4. Technical writers must not substitute speculation for fact.5. Technical writers must not hide truth with ambiguity.6. Technical writers must not use the ideas of other without giving proper credit.7. Technical writers must not violate copyright laws.8. Technical writers must not lie with statistics.9. Technical writers must not interject personal bias into their reports.• It is very important to recognize that these constructs do NOT constitute ethics; they merely contribute to the understanding of ethics.• What constitutes ethics is intending to be good and do good.Two Examples of Ethical Problems in Technical Writing• Plagiarism• Image AlterationThese are becoming increasingly problematic due to the Internet, personal computing, and cheap graphic manipulation software.www.turnitin.comUnethical Practices – Undergraduate Students• Examples of bad practices in general coursework (which could additionally get you kicked out – violating academic integrity policies at this university is NO joke):– Copying and pasting homework, lab summaries, or assignments from another student when individual work is specified– Talking to students in another section about exam questions before you take the exam– Trading assignments• Grad students take a course BME / IHE 6010 “Engineering Ethics and Academic Integrity”• Course Description: Introduce engineering graduate students to engineering ethics, scientific research and technical writing, and publication citations. Additional topics include active reading, active listening, effective presentation, faculty-advisor relationships, and the thesis/dissertation process.NCEES - National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying• NCEES is a central organization that administers the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) and PE (Principles and Practice in Engineering) exams, which enable licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) in your respective state.• NCEES Rules of Professional Conduct, as stated in their 2012 publication “Model Rules,” are as follows:A. Licensee’s Obligation to Society1. Licensees, in the performance of their services for clients, employers, and customers, shall be cognizant that their first and foremost responsibility is to the public welfare.2. Licensees shall approve and seal only those design documents and surveys that conform to accepted engineering and surveying standards and safeguard the life, health, property, and welfare of the public.3. Licensees shall notify their employer or client and such other authority as may be appropriate when their professional judgment is overruled under circumstances where the life, health, property, or welfare of the public is endangered.4. Licensees shall be objective and truthful in professional reports, statements, or testimony. They shall include all relevant and pertinent information in such reports, statements, or testimony.5. Licensees shall express a professional opinion publicly only when it is founded upon an adequate knowledge of the facts and a competent evaluation of the subject matter.6. Licensees shall issue no statements, criticisms, or arguments on technical matters which are inspired or paid for by interested parties, unless they explicitly identify the interested parties on whose behalf they are speaking and reveal any interest they have in the matters.7. Licensees shall not permit the use of their name or firm name by, nor associate in the business ventures with, any person or firm which is engaging in fraudulent or dishonest business or professional practices.8. Licensees having knowledge of possible violations of any of these Rules of Professional Conduct shall provide the board with the information and assistance necessary to make the final determination of such violation. (Section 150, Disciplinary Action, NCEES Model Law)B. Licensee’s Obligation to Employer and Clients1. Licensees shall undertake assignments only when qualified by education or experience in the specific technical fields of engineering or surveying involved.2. Licensees shall not affix their signatures or seals to any plans or documents dealing with subject matter in which they lack competence, nor to any such plan or document not prepared under their responsible charge.3. Licensees may accept assignments for coordination of an entire project, provided that each design segment is signed and sealed by the licensee responsible for preparation of that design segment.4. Licensees shall not reveal facts, data, or information obtained in a professional capacity without the prior consent of the client or employer except as authorized or required by law. Licensees shall not solicit or accept gratuities, directly or indirectly, from contractors, their agents, or other parties in connection with work for employers or clients.5. Licensees shall make full prior disclosures to their employers or clients of potential conflicts of interest or other circumstances which could influence or appear to influence their judgment