Ethical Research Writing

below are the instructions for this writing assignment as well as a sample version , do not just copy the sample version please.

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Professor Peterson

ENGL 235

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Ethical Research Writing

Ethical research writing is the critical considerations of standards or rules to distinguish between

acceptable and unacceptable behavior when composing research documents(Resnik). Research

that is ethical requires the writer to consider aspects of information gathered, such as the place of

the source, the author’s qualifications, and factual information from sources when determining

its ethical credibility. The most logical way to evaluate the information encountered in the

research process of a document is to design a plan that will contribute to ethical research

documentation.

The first item is conducting research for information from the right places to get reliable

information. Libraries are a great source for information that provide books and publications for

the public to access and reference. Libraries also have librarians that are trained and educated to

help find information and will assist people towards useful and credible sources inside the library

or on their online database. Schools and universities also have subscriptions and organizations to

databases and academic journals that also have credible information. Lastly, websites are also a

place to look for information, but should be approached with caution. Articles from websites can

be beneficial and nonbeneficial when researching. Articles and information posed from websites

can be inaccurate and outdated. However, information from websites can also support the

research topic and be credible. Referencing different places and asking educated people is the

foundation to finding

credible information.

Next, when looking at sources while researching, doing a background research on the author(s)

qualification is essential for credible information. Checking the educational background of the

authors will help the reader understand if the author’s education in the subject area is appropriate

and reliable for the information they published. Other writings posted by the author will also

contribute to qualifications of the author because, if they have a vast understanding and array of

publication around subject area, the author is more knowledgeable. Then, checking if the

information published in the book, article, and website matches their field of expertise can

establish if the author’s information is reliable(Author’s Credentials). Making sure the author is

qualified to cite information from is essential when conducting research.

Lastly, when gathering information when researching, making sure the accuracy of the

information in the source is correct is crucial to providing credible information. Publications in

libraries and school databases will have accurate and reliable information, especially if a

historian or librarian recommends the book or article. Websites however need to be properly

examined for the accuracy of the text. Looking at the websites domain, using sites that use .gov

and .edu are almost always reliable. Another way to check the accuracy of the website is

checking its copyrighted date; information that is outdated at times could be not accurate. Lastly,

checking where the site gets its information from is important. Websites like Wikipedia can be

edited by anyone, not needing a reliable source, and should not be used when looking for

credible information.

In conclusion, exercising ethical research writing is essential when creating a

document.

Constructing a plan for finding credible information by going to places like the library,

examining the credentials of the author(s), and gathering information that is accurate can

ultimately strengthen and validate the facts being presented to the audience reading the

document.

Works Cited

“Author’s Credentials.” Author’s Credentials. Online Learning Library Center, n.d. Web. 19

May 2017.

Resnik, David B. “What Is Ethics in Research & Why Is It Important?” National Institute of

Environmental Health Sciences. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1 Dec.

2015. Web. 18 May 2017.

Peterson

ENGL 235

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Ethics Reflection

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Purpose: Ethics reflections are designed to encourage you to think about the
importance of ethics to the production of technical writing. Completing these will
prepare you to be able to meet the following course and program learning
outcomes:

 Locate, evaluate, and integrate credible research into a written document for
a specific purpose and work-world audience.

 Edit for accuracy, brevity, clarity, to write an ethical document with a specific
purpose and work-world audience.

Instructions: These should follow a short essay format. Please use 12 point font,
single-space, skip lines between paragraphs, and use 1” margins. Finally, no
research is required for these, but please make sure to cite if you do include any
information that is not your own, or common knowledge.

Length: Each response must be no less than 250 words (that’s about 3 average-
sized paragraphs), Try to limit your responses to about 500 words max.

Prompt:

For this ethics reflection, I’d like you to discuss ethics in writing from the
perspective of a researcher. As you continue to conduct research, what aspects of a
source will you consider when determining its ethical credibility (such as the
author’s qualifications or the kind of support provided)? Discuss your plan for
evaluating the information you’ll be encountering in the research process. Be sure to
mention your plan for evaluating information that you find online.

Grading:
 Please scroll down for the grading rubric.
 Late assignments will receive a 1 point deduction in each rubric category.
 After 1 week past the due date, NO late work will receive instructor feedback,

and a rating of 0 (“well below mastery”) will be recorded in each rubric
category.

Peterson
ENGL 235

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Exceeds Mastery Meets Mastery Near Mastery Well Below Mastery

Technical

Writing

Quality

meets purpose of

assignment

effectively engages a professional

audience

employs varied sentence structures for

style and college-level reader interest

exhibits a precise and sophisticated

vocabulary

all sentences are factual, active, clear,

concise, and specific

remains focused on the central

research question(s) throughout in an

immediately recognizable way

shows mastery of the narrowed

topic

and articulates its complexities

presents a logical progression of ideas

based on

the topic

maintains focus within each paragraph

uses highly effective

subheadings

provides clear and directive topic

sentences and sophisticated transitions

within and between

paragraphs

includes logical paragraph breaks

does not display any serious patterns

of error

maintains a consistent point of view

and appropriate verb tense

contains very few mistakes of syntax,

grammar, and punctuation, and none

that interfere

with

meaning

 largely meets purpose of

assignment

 targets a professional audience

uses varied sentences, but may

occasionally repeat certain

structures and lengths

 exhibits largely effective word

choice though there may some

misuse, ineffective repetition,

and/or a minimal use of

slang/cliché

 some sentences do not meet

factual, active, clear, concise, and

specific standards

 presents a largely logical

progression of ideas based on the

topic

 maintains focus within most

paragraphs

 uses satisfactory title and/or

subheadings

 mostly provides topic sentences

and has basic transitions within and

between paragraphs

 includes largely logical paragraph

breaks

 may display patterns of error,

which do not significantly interfere

with meaning

 rarely strays from a consistent

point of view and an appropriate

use of tense

 features occasional mistakes with

syntax, grammar, and punctuation,

but not enough to significantly

interfere with meaning

 may not adequately meet terms of
assignment

 does not consistently engage a
professional audience

exhibits some lack of control over

sentence structures, possibly repeating a
simple syntax or creating a needlessly

complex syntax

 may be limited by an inadequate
vocabulary, with word choice that is

imprecise, repetitive, and/or reliant on
slang and cliché

 several sentences do not meet factual,
active,

clear, concise, and specific

standards

 relies on a progression of ideas that is
not entirely logical and/or is not always

related to the topic

 loses focus within some paragraphs

 uses subheadings, though that use might
be limited

 occasionally provides topic sentences
and uses transitions inconsistently

within and/or between paragraphs

 breaks paragraphs in ways that may not
always be logical to the reader

 displays patterns of error that either
distract or sometimes interfere with

meaning

 tends to stray from a consistent point of
view and appropriate use of tense

 approaches standard written English, but
significant mistakes with syntax,

grammar, and punctuation make

meaning unclear at points

 does not meet terms of assignment

 lacks awareness of an audience

 lacks control of sentence

structures, relying on careless or

received patterns

 uses an imprecise and simplistic

vocabulary that might also contain

deceptive or inflammatory

language and that might be heavily

reliant on slang and cliché

 few sentences meet factual, active,

clear, concise, and specific
standards

 has a progression of ideas that is

not logical and/or is not based on

the topic

 does not maintain focus within

paragraphs

 uses few or no subheadings

 largely fails to provide topic

sentences and either does not use

transitions or uses transitions that

are ineffective

 does not use logical paragraph

breaks

 displays serious patterns of error

that substantially interfere with

meaning

 lacks control over point of view

and tense

 does not show mastery of the

conventions of standard written

English, and serious mistakes with

syntax, grammar, and punctuation

compromise clear communication

Peterson
ENGL 235

3

Research Use thoroughly supports and develops the
topic using relevant, credible, and richly

varied sources

synthesizes relevant source support

through effective interpretation and

analysis

consistently uses an appropriate

balance of analysis, summary,

paraphrase,

and quotation

considers and convincingly responds

to varying claims

consistently introduces source

material with varied and effective signal

phrasing

maintains strict ethical standards and

avoids plagiarism through correct and

precise paraphrasing, use of

quotation

marks, in-text citations and an MLA

Works Cited, APA, or IEEE References

page

 sufficiently supports and develops

the topic using fairly relevant,

credible, and

varied sources

 provides some synthesis of

relevant source support through

interpretation and analysis

 mostly uses an appropriate balance

of analysis, summary, paraphrase,

and quotation

 might rely somewhat too much on

direct quotation

 considers varying claims and offers

some response

 introduces most source material

with signal phrasing

 avoids plagiarism through

competent paraphrasing and use of

quotation marks, and mostly

correct in-text citations and an

MLA Works Cited, APA, or IEEE

References page

 provides some support and

development of the topic, but may

not be entirely relevant, credible,

or varied

 provides some interpretation and

analysis of source material, but

may fail to effectively synthesize

source material

 has some balance of analysis,

summary, paraphrase, and

quotation

 may use direct quotation where

paraphrase or summary would be

more appropriate

 does not adequately consider or

respond to varying claims

 largely lacks clear signal phrasing

provides minimal framing of

source material

 includes some weak paraphrasing,

errors in the use of quotation

marks, and/or errors in the in-text

citations or an MLA Works Cited,

APA, or IEEE References page

 provides insufficient support and
development of the topic, perhaps

because of too few relevant, credible, or

varied sources

 does not synthesize source material into
report’s recommendation(s) and lacks

interpretation and analysis of source
material

 does not balance analysis, summary,
paraphrase, and quotation

 might rely on direct quotation to the
exclusion of paraphrase and summary

 lacks consideration of varying claims

 lacks signal phrasing

 lacks framing of source material

 includes weak or inadequate
paraphrasing and/or significant errors in

the use of quotation marks

 includes significant errors in the in-text
citations and/or an MLA Works Cited,

APA, or IEEE References page, or

lacks one or both of these

 might be unintentionally plagiarizing
sources because of the above

weaknesses