I found it funny how they TCT used Albert Einstein’s work with the nuclear bomb during the war as an example of an ethical dilemma. I always like his quote “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hid your sources,” it is kind of the plagiarists motto. Plagiarism also seems like it is going to be one of our greatest hurdles for this project. Being that this is a white paper, we really aren’t going to be coming up with anything original or our own ideas. Most of what we present will be information, data, and diagrams from other sources. This being the case, being sure to cite all sources and give credit where it is due will be very important. I think the research blogs will really help with by giving us a change or look at good sources, learn the information, and present what we know.
While we need to avoid plagiarism, we also need to be sure to present our information truthfully and unbiased. This would fall into the justice category of ethics. A company could be held legally responsible for providing false information. With the case of this class, maybe no one would know, but it is important when writing a white paper to present everything honestly and fairly, and let the readers make their own decision. For our white paper, there is really no reason to skew the numbers, we have nothing to gain.
Conservation ethics will also be a part of our white paper. Being that our white paper deals with heat pumps, a cheaper and also more efficient way of heating and cooling a house, it will be important to analyze the economic benefits of each product. Not only should the cost of each systems installation and running costs be analyzed, but also the economic cost. For instance, the equipment and tools needed to install a heat pump could dump for pollutants into the air than the system would be saving during its life. If economic cost is a driving factor, perhaps purchasing green credits to offset this cost should be factored in.
Economic Cost Analysis
I agree Isaac that one of the most important parts of our project, concerning ethical issues, will be in analyzing the economic cost/benefit of each pump system that's examined, and making sure that we are actually presenting accurate information that reflects the reader's concerns. If the primary reader, as in our case, is concerned about selling "cost-reducing, eco-friendly" heat pumps, we'd better be sure that our information is properly researched and presented. If not, as I'd noted in my blog, we are likely to lose all credibility will our audience and then our white paper is esentially worthless.
Ethics and Audience
Something else to consider with respect to ethics and audience: different ethical frameworks. As we have discussed with respect to needs, values, and expectations, one ethical "dilemma" to be aware of is competing ethical frameworks. Many times, ethical decisions involve having to decide between competing goods. It's not just avoiding lying or skewing that facts that you have to be aware of; it's deciding when you have given them enough information and how you will present/arrange them. Where do you draw the line? That is what makes ethics difficult: ethics are about decision making, and decision making is always about including and excluding.
Hiding sources
I think the quote “the secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources” aids nicely to a discussion about ethics. I’m reminded of an article I read recently (http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2007/10/27/funding-global-war...) that attempted to shed some perspective on the global-warming debate (I don’t think there’s much of an active debate anymore, but I think the level of severity can be questioned). According to the article, much of the research that “proves” global-warming and its catastrophic effects on the world was funded by organizations that had interests in new policies and legislations that the research could lead to. On the other hand, research that “disproves” global warming was often funded by organizations with differing interests, such as big manufacturers and oil companies. In both cases, the organizations responsible for financing research used their influence to alter how the data was presented and, in turn, give their argument more credibility. This is something that we need to avoid in our white papers. Let research and data speak for itself. It is unethical to do otherwise.
Research Ethics
Yeah I think that your right about how the research blogs with help with deciphering what resources will work. This will also help us with writing ethically and informatively. The quote that Albert Einstein said about hiding your sources reminds me of when I was in high school. A teacher actually told his students that you can pretty much use anyone's work as your own, if you source their work. I always thought that his comment was interesting because it is a sort of plagiarism. This kind of work would probably get a person expelled from Purdue.
Keeping your sources hidden
I agree that plagiarism can definitely be a hurdle in this project. Researching our topics is going to be our primary means of information. Therefore, it will be quite hard to not plagiarize anything. It is definitely a challenge to understand the information and then portray it in your own way. I also enjoyed reading about your thoughts on conversational ethics. I never really looked at the situation from this angle. It would be smart to approach this view with consideration of this as an audience. The ethical roles your paper may have can easily shape your audiences your appealing to.