Ethics Paper First Draft
Commented [AA1]: This first paragraph is very well
Monica Huston
Professor Baker
ELANG 410R
As an editor, I will face various ethical dilemmas throughout my career and must be
prepared to resolve them. Because the situations will not be formulaic, it is important that I
establish my own set of ethical principle now and then adhere to them resolutely as I
graduate from college and advance in my professional editing career. I will be sure to
consider the consequences and then do what’s best for all parties involved, including the
client and employer. But ultimately, I will base my decisions off my own personal code of
conduct.
I’ve always heard that when making decisions on choosing to abide by high moral
standards or not, you only need make the choice once. You make the choice not to smoke,
not to drink, not to dress inappropriately, only once. If you make these and other important
decisions early on in life, then it will be easier to live up to those standards. And the
opposite is also true. If you wait until you are in a situation where alcohol is present at a
party and a friend comes over to offer you a drink, it will be much harder for you to refuse
because the temptation is greater in the midst of such situations where the desire to fit in
and be accepted is considerable.
This is why it is essential to establish ethical principles that will guide your conduct
in the professional editing world before even graduating college.
First off, we will consider the job of an editor. An editor’s job is to ensure that the
work is technically accurate, reflects the author’s intended meaning, and communicates the
information to the target audience effectively. This encompasses many different skills
including the ability to do background research, check citations, identify plagiarism, ensure
that that the reader won’t infer incorrectly, and verify cohesion of manuscripts as well as
general copy editing tasks. I will keep detailed records of my work in order to ensure that
my honor cannot be questioned. I also must keep myself up to date and informed as to all
the copyright and trademark rules. The duties of an editor, whether a copyeditor or
technical editor, are varied and extensive. Therefore, new situations arise quite often. And
these new situations could bring about ethical dilemmas.
Some ethical dilemmas that could be particularly tricky are those that are not illegal
in any way, but rather, are considered unethical by some people. One example could be the
following: After agreeing on a set amount of time to edit a book manuscript, you realize
after reaching the halfway point, that the job is not as time-consuming as you had originally
anticipated and you finish a week ahead of schedule. What do you do with the extra money
you receive? An agreement was already reached, and the contract was signed. Is it wrong to
written (I especially like the first two sentences), but it
doesn’t provide a strong hook. Maybe you could begin by
presenting a dilemma (like the “do you keep the extra
money?” example you use near the end of your essay) using
elements of fiction writing, and then you can answer it later
when you describe the ethical principle that applies.
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Commented [AA2]: This is a good start for a thesis
statement, but it’s not complete. The readers don’t know
what specifics you are going to cover when they read your
paper. Here are two examples of something you could say:
“I will base my decisions off my own personal code of
conduct, which includes staying informed on copyright rules,
following the Golden Rule, respecting confidentiality, and
maintaining professionalism.”
or
“I will base my decisions off my own personal code of
conduct. In this paper I will discuss why it is important for
me to decide now which ethical principles I will follow
[make the choice once, avoid tempting situations later] and
how I will decide which principles to follow [Golden
Rule/Immanuel Kant]. Then I will discuss which ethical
principles I have chosen [stay informed on copyright rules,
don’t take more money than what I’ve earned, . . . ] and how
I can apply them when I face an ethical dilemma.”
This could also help your organization because then you can
follow the organization you have promised in your thesis
statement. Also, headings may help make the transitions
from topic to topic smoother and clearer.
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Commented [AA3]: You have used first-, second-, and
third-person point of view in your essay so far (see red
highlights). For consistency, I would stick to one, and I
would probably choose first person because this is an essay
about your personal ethics.
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Commented [AA4]: These are great statements of what
principles will guide your editing. I would love to see more
of them. (After all, that’s one of the purposes of this essay:
“Discuss ethical principles that will guide your editing and
publishing career.” See Ethics Paper Assignment Sheet.)
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spacing: At least 16.55 pt
Commented [AA5]: Nice point.
keep the money? While some people may argue that it is not wrong to keep the extra Commented [AA6]: Why would they argue that it’s not
wrong? What evidence do you have, or what reasoning
money, I would recalculate the hours I worked and then return the extra money. That way I would they use?
would be maintaining my integrity by only keeping the money I had actually earned based
on how many hours I had worked. Commented [AA7]: This is a great example. See comment
at beginning of paper about splitting this example up and
One Another way of thinking about this scenario is by reversing the roles. If I was using it to introduce your paper.
hiring someone to do a job for me and it took them less time than they had expected, I
would want them to be honest with me and not take more money than the work the job
entailed. This can be explained in the words of Immanuel Keant’s categorical imperative:
“Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become
universal law.” This principle is very similar to the Golden Rule which is one that has Commented [AA8]: Another great point!

always served as a good guide for my life.

A few ethical principles that I have decided to be universal and that have guided me
in my life and will continue to guide me in my future career include honesty,
confidentiality, quality, fairness, and professionalism. These principles are also outlined in
further detail in the guidelines of The Society for Technical Communication’s Ethical
Principles for Technical Communicators. Commented [AA9]: I would include this reference in your
reference list.
Editors often confront ethical dilemmas—illegal, unethical, or both. Obviously,
editors are responsible for checking that the writer has his or her facts straight, but
ultimately, accountability lies with the author. Commented [AA10]: This paragraph feels out of place. It
doesn’t connect with the paragraphs before or after it. Also,
As Ardeth G. Kapp asserts in her talk, “Stand for Truth and Righteousness,” from the why do you say that accountability lies with the author?
April 2013 General Conference, “When you keep the commandments and follow the Your audience might not accept or agree with that statement
without further support. Because you already have so much
Savior’s example, it’s like holding up a light. Your good example helps others to find their other good material to work with, I would consider deleting
this paragraph.
way in a darkening world.” I will be able to stand strong and be a light to the world, in my
life in general and even in my professional editing career, as I stand with my Savior, Jesus
Christ, put on the whole armor of God, and adhere to the ethical principles I have
established.
Commented [AA11]: What a nice way to wrap up your
paper. It helps you seem confident and proud of being
ethical. Don’t forget to provide a brief summary of the rest
of your paper, too, so that it doesn’t seem like you are just
tacking on a last-minute thought.
References

Nicole Amare, Barry Nowlin, and Jean Hollis Weber, Technical Editing in the 21st Century,
pp. 6–7, 29–30, and chapter 20.

Robert D. Hales, “Stand Strong in Holy Places,” General Conference, April 2013. (Also Commented [AA12]: I didn’t see you quote or reference
this talk in your paper. Did you mean to include one?
available at https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/stand-strong-in-holy-
places?lang=eng).
Ardeth G. Kapp, “Stand for Truth and Righteousness,” General Conference, October 1988.
(Also available at https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1988/10/stand-for-truth-and-
righteousness?lang=eng).