Plagiarism and the Spirit
of Ethics in Engineering
Scott Coffel
Hanson CTC Director
Jennifer Ambrose
Assistant Director
Before We Begin… Sho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxPVyiept
wA&feature=player_detailpage
A Comment on Ethics
“The world has achieved
brilliance without wisdom,
power without conscience.
Ours is a world of nuclear
giants and ethical infants.”
Omar Bradley
1893-1981
(US General, commanded
ground forces in D-Day invasion
at Normandy)
Bonus Slide:
More Fascinating Ethical Observations
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Shoot first, ask questions later.
Rules are made to be broken.
Nice guys finish last.
Go along to get along.
If the boss does it, that means
it’s not illegal.
Why Do Engineers Need
Ethics?
 Engineers belong to a community of practice
responsible for designing , constructing, and
maintaining the inventions of civilization.
 There are few, (if any) mere technical decisions.
 “Knowing how to calculate stress or design a circuit
is in part knowing what the profession allows,
forbids, or requires .”*
*"Online Ethics Center: Teaching Ethics Across the Engineering Curriculum" Online Ethics Center for Engineering 6/19/2006 1:29:26 PM National
Academy of Engineering Accessed: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 <www.onlineethics.org/CMS/edu/instructessays/davis.aspx>
NSPE Code of Ethics
Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:
 Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of
the public.
 Perform services only in areas of their competence.
 Issue public statements only in an objective and
truthful manner.
 Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees.
 Avoid deceptive acts.
 Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly,
ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor,
reputation, and usefulness of the profession.
Plagiarism: A Fancy Word
for Unethical and/or Foolish Behavior
Let's Be Blunt About
Plagiarism
 The Latin term for kidnapper was “plagiarius.” As
aspiring engineers, you need to know that
kidnapping the ideas of others has consequences
beyond your own prospects and reputation—
 It also damages your college and the honest
members of your profession by loosening the
bonds of trust that tie us all together.
Credibility
and Depth of Research—
Striking the Right Balance
 Cite enough sources so that your audience trusts
your conclusions and recommendations.
 Don’t overload your reports with cited material at
the expense of your own insights.
What Professional
Engineers Tell Us
 They find team writing difficult.
 They find writing for multiple audiences difficult.
 Sometimes the demands of the team and the writer’s
responsibility to an audience conflict.
 Some of the worst ethical problems result from tensions
between competing responsibilities.
Ethics Requires Precision
in Thought and Language
 Precise writing establishes your credibility as an engineer.
 To achieve clarity and precision, you must go through a
writing process.
 A good writing process requires drafts, feedback, and
revisions.
 There are no shortcuts to good writing.
Summary
 Ethical engineers navigate conflicts with an
inner compass.
 They also use the needs of the community
as a guide.
 They balance responsibility to themselves,
their profession, and the world.
Thank You