Ethics for information professionals Ethics for searchers Ethical

Ethics for information professionals Ethics for searchers Ethical concerns connect them Principles of Searching tefkos@rutgers. edu; http: //comminfo. rutgers. edu/~tefko/ ©© Tefko Saracevic 1

Central ideas © Tefko Saracevic • Information professionals should, indeed must, perform their services ethically • Searching is particularly sensitive to ethical behavior – it involves close connections to & even confidences of users Principles of Searching 2

To. C 1. Information organizations: Professional ethics 2. Searchers’ ethics 3. Competitive intelligence (CI) – ethical concerns ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 3

Information-oriented organizations 1. Professional ethics ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 4

Єθοσ [ethos] – Greek word for custom or habit, the characteristic conduct of an individual human life. Definition A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names Why is Ethics important? ©© Tefko Saracevic – Ethics is a requirement for human life. It is our means of deciding a course of action. Sense of Life Objectives. The importance of philosophy Principles of Searching 5

more … “Ethics is studying and talking about what is right and wrong, good and bad. It is also studying what makes something good or bad. This helps decide whether other things are good or bad. Understanding ethics can help people decide what to do when they have choices. Many philosophers think that doing anything or making any choice is a part of ethics. ” Wikipedia P. S. if interested, for an in depth discussion immerse into Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 6

Computer ethics more … “Ethics is the field of study that is concerned with questions of value, that is, judgments about what human behaviour is "good" or "bad". Ethical judgments are no different in the area of computing from those in any other area. Computers raise problems of privacy, ownership, theft, and power, to name but a few. ” Free online dictionary of philosophy ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 7

Professional ethics concerns one's conduct of behavior and practice when carrying out professional work • Practically every professional organization has an official code of ethics ©© Tefko Saracevic – but for searchers and searching there is not a single official ethics code – search ethics is derived from other professional codes & practices Principles of Searching 8

Codes of ethics: library & information associations • Library & information science associations have a long standing concern with ethics – examples ©© Tefko Saracevic – ALA – has a Code of Ethics with basic concern for intellectual freedom – SLA does not have a separate code of ethics but adheres to broad principles – Association of Independent Information Professionals has a Code of Ethical Business Practice – ASIST has Professional Guidelines – Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals has a brief Code of Ethics for CI Professionals Principles of Searching 9

Principles ALA ethics code • We provide the highest level of service to all library users … • We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources … • We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality… • We recognize and respect intellectual property rights … • We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness and good faith … • We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions … • We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties … • We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills … ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 10

Professional codes of ethics: other associations • Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct American Psychological Association Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence Psychologists strive to benefit those with whom they work and take care to do no harm. … Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility Psychologists establish relationships of trust with those with whom they work. … Principle C: Integrity Psychologists seek to promote accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness in the science, teaching, and practice of psychology. … Principle D: Justice Psychologists recognize that fairness and justice entitle all persons to access to and benefit from the contributions of psychology and to equality in the processes, procedures, and services being conducted by psychologists. … Principle E: Respect for People's Rights and Dignity Psychologists respect the dignity and worth of all people, and the rights of individuals to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination. … ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 11

ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct Association for Computing Machinery Another example “This Code, consisting of 24 imperatives formulated as statements of personal responsibility, identifies the elements of such a commitment. ” Among them: As an ACM member I will. . 1. 1 Contribute to society and human well-being. 1. 2 Avoid harm to others. 1. 3 Be honest and trustworthy. 1. 7 Respect the privacy of others. 1. 8 Honor confidentiality. 2. 2 Acquire and maintain professional competence. 2. 5 Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks. ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 12

• General principles from APA & ACM code can be transferred to searchers Applicability ©© Tefko Saracevic – instead of “psychologists” put in “searchers” – instead of “computing systems” put in “information systems and resources” Principles of Searching 13

Guiding professional practice 2. Ethical principles for searchers ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 14

Shaver, D. B. , Hewison, N. S. , & Wykoff, L. W. (1985). Ethics for online intermediaries. Special Libraries, 76 (Fall), 238 -245. Old but still valid ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 15

• No organizational professional code of ethics specific for searchers General concerns – but all general principles apply – with Web searching even more urgent • Close connection with users gatekeepers ©© Tefko Saracevic – involving possibly their confidence – raises urgency of adherence to ethical principles – anybody can claim to be a searcher – no license Principles of Searching 16

• Searcher competence Some ethical concerns for searchers – evaluating level of service received • Searcher expertise & search results – apprising user & user consent • Searcher bias – tendency toward certain resources • Search accuracy – or rather inaccuracy • Privacy and confidentiality – what goes on in searching stays in searching • Integrity ©© Tefko Saracevic – serving user as opposed to other interests Principles of Searching 17

Guiding principle ©© Tefko Saracevic First do no harm Principles of Searching 18

First do no harm! • Your job is to provide information but not judge the uses to which it is put – exception: short of serious imminent threat to another person or society • Your job is to appraise sources & provide information but NOT to give advice on subject matter ©© Tefko Saracevic – you can provide health information but you are NOT a doctor or psychiatrist to give medical or mental health advice – you can provide plumbing information but you are NOT a plumber [except in your own dwelling, possibly …] – you are NOT Dear Abby Principles of Searching 19

First do no harm! more … • You should know the authority, quality of information sources – not to provide wrong information – appraise user of possible quality problems • You should be aware of user needs, context, limits – to avoid providing information that may be inappropriate & wrongly interpreted, used • You should provide information to user, advise on sources & give informational guidance, but you should not do user's job ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 20

Shaver et al. Guidelines … ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 21

Gathering, analyzing & using information in organizations 3. Competitive intelligence (CI) – ethical concerns ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 22

What is competitive intelligence? • Systematic program for gathering and analyzing information about – competitors and their activities – environment - local, national, global – general trends in domains of interest to further organizational goals • Essential for DECISION MAKING • More on Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 23

Objectives • Collect information – effectively, systematically, economically • Analyze it – appropriately for given contexts, purposes • Disseminate it – to defined users & through effective presentations & channels • Use it – to make informed DECISIONS ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 24

Ethical concerns for competitive intelligence • What goes on in practice of collecting information? – legal & illegal practices fairly well defined – but if it is legal is it also ethical? – increase in competition - incentive to cut corners • Need to formulate & adhere to code of ethics – several are formulated as reviewed ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 25

Examples of unethical practices – camouflaged questioning – “drawing out” of competitors’ employees at meetings or encounters – direct observation under secret conditions – false job interviews of competitors’ employees – hiring a professional investigator for specific information – hiring employees away from competitors to get specific know-how ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 26

Examples of illegal practices – – trespassing on competitor’s property bribing competitor’s employee or supplier “planting” your agent on competitors payroll eavesdropping on competitor (e. g. wiretapping – theft of documents, drawings, samples – blackmail & extortion – arranging non-competitive practices among competitors ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 27

Summary • Today searching involves an ever expanding range of sources, users & uses – it is also vitally important in organizations – it also involves searching for evaluative information, indication performance & impact • dealing at times with life-important decisions – variety of pressures are extended • Ethical issues must be watched • Professional ethics must be followed ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 28

Life and times of Frida Kahlo thank you! ©© Tefko Saracevic Principles of Searching 29