Honesty is the ethical principle that technical writers must adhere to and promote. It is the responsibility of the technical writer to provide truthful and accurate information. The writer should not omit relevant information that may change the audience’s perception of the information he is receiving. In technical writing it is important not to over or under emphasize facts to persuade a reader or audience. An example of this is omitting losses on profit charts. By omitting information about years in which the company did not make a profit, they could persuade investments that would not have been made if all the facts were present for review. Honesty in technical writing is important to other ethical principles, such as ethics legal and professional. . A technical writer has an obligation to research the laws both nationally and internationally and comply with those laws. Also, a technical writer must understand moral ethics, whether legal or not, and communicate the information appropriately.
Confidentiality is an ethical principle that should be a guide in technical communications. Disclosing trade secrets, formulas, and confidential information about a company and its practices is unethical as long as the company acts within moral and ethical boundaries, and can also raise legal issues.
A basic understanding of ethical principles helps employees think through job dilemmas and make the right decisions. Wherever the initiative comes from, from you or from higher authorities, dishonesty is always a lie. When an employee is pressured to hide negative information or mislead by exaggerating or communicating information in a way that makes the product sound better than it is, this leads to unethical behavior.
A technical communicator has an obligation to help your organization treat its customers fairly by providing safe and effective products or services. Fairness means avoiding conflicts of interest that align with your own objectives and that are against those of the company. It is also required to treat people equally regardless of their sex. religion, ethnicity, race, physical or mental ability.