The Role
of Ethics in Engineering
Scott Coffel
Director, Hanson Center
for Technical Communication
College of Engineering
The University of Iowa
Why Do Engineers Need
Ethics?
 Engineers are 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 .”¹
¹"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>
Two Comments on Ethics
“The world has
achieved brilliance
without wisdom,
power without
conscience. Ours is a
world of nuclear
giants and ethical
infants.”
— Omar Bradley,
US General in WW2
“Ethics are a kind of
highway code for
traffic among
mankind.”
— Sigmund Freud
Bonus Slide:
More Fascinating Ethical Observations




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.
We Think We’re Ahead
of the Curve…But We’re Not
 “Everything that can be invented has been
invented.”
— Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Patent Office, 1899
 The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in
explosives.”
— Admiral William Leahy, Manhattan Project, 1943
 “640KB ought to be enough for anybody.”
— Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft, 1981
To Be Misquoted
Can Ruin your Reputation
 Poor Duell — this is what he actually said in
1902:
 “In my opinion, all previous advances in the various
lines of invention will appear totally insignificant
when compared with those which the present
century will witness. I almost wish that I might live
my life over again to see the wonders which are at
the threshold.”
Imagine if an Engineer Were
the President of the United States
 Global Engineer (and President)
Herbert Hoover, 1928 – 1932.
 Technical expertise is not enough.
 Many blamed Hoover
for the Great Depression (1929).
 “Unlike doctors, engineers cannot bury their
mistakes in the grave.”
— Herbert Hoover (1954, from an article in Engineer’s Week)
What Professional
Engineers Tell Us
 They find team writing and writing for multiple
audiences difficult.
 At times, the team’s personal dynamics are in
conflict with the team’s responsibility to tell the
truth.
 Some of the worst ethical problems result from
tensions between competing responsibilities.
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 stealing
the ideas of others has consequences beyond your
own prospects and reputation—
 It also damages your institution 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.
Ignorance of the Rules
Is No Excuse —
When in Doubt, Ask the Experts
 The Hanson Center Writing Resources page offers
valuable and easy-to-read guides for writing and
speaking ethically.
 The Engineering Library offers a wide range of
citation and bibliography software to help you cite
sources with speed and accuracy.
Ethics Requires Precision
in Thought and Language
 Competent writing establishes your credibility
as an engineer.
 Engineers achieve success as writers through a
process of drafting, feedback, and revision.
 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