Business Ethics among Academic Writers: What? When? How?
As an academic writer, you may sometimes encounter moral dilemmas. It can be difficult to decide the right way to act in a given situation. Follow these ten guidelines and you can’t go wrong.
1. Properly Attribute Sources
The act of plagiarism, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “to steal and pass off the ideas of another as one’s own.” In the digital age of copy-paste, it can be easy to fall into the trap of plagiarism, and there are severe consequences for that. The best way to avoid plagiarism is by attributing sources with proper citations, using MLA or APA format according to the requirements of the assignment.
2. Read Sources Attentively
Truly original writing means using your own words and ideas. That means that if you are writing about a topic you’ve researched, a thorough understanding of that topic is necessary. Read your sources thoroughly and highlight major points as you go.
3. Avoid Conflicts of Interest
If the outcome of a particular study or article affects you financially or personally, you would do well to avoid it. It’s important that you are always able to keep an open mind about your topic and keep your motives pure.
4. Be Respectful
Treat your clients with dignity. Show them some courtesy and politeness. Always have regard for their privacy, rights, interests, and their time. Never forget that each client wants to be respected and honored as a person.
5. Be Fair
Do the job that you were hired to do without demanding too much of others. Acknowledge the value of what others have done, whether they are clients, coworkers or employers.
6. Strive for Excellence
Put in as much extra time as necessary to make sure that your clients receive your best work. Take the time to listen to them, understand their needs, and go above and beyond those needs whenever possible.
7. Show Care and Concern for Others
Show regard for the feelings of others with compassion and kindness. Treat others the way you want them to treat you, and you will reap the benefits.
8. Be Honest
Never mislead or deceive clients, coworkers or employers. Be up-front and transparent. Be clear about exactly what you are able to do and the amount of time it will require. If you earn clients’ trust, they will be happy to continue ordering your services.
9. Manage Your Time Effectively
Avoid leaving projects to the last-minute, as this can compromise the quality of your work. Divide big projects into smaller chunks and schedule an appropriate amount of time for each chunk.
10. Show Integrity
Perhaps you believe strongly in guarding Sundays as family time, or maybe you do not want to write about a particular social issue that violates your convictions. Do not sacrifice your beliefs to achieve personal gain. Overall, you will get more respect from clients if you stand firmly on the courage of your convictions.
Writers from DoMyCaseStudy.com have help us create this list of essential ethics tips so they can not only help a person become a more ethical writer but lead to greater success and a more faithful client base. In other words, everyone will win!