Being a good computer professional: The advantages of virtue ethics in computing

Volkman, Richard

doi:10.22459/picti.10.2013.07

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…The Moral-IT Deck approach There have been numerous attempts to support virtuous behaviour by technologists (Volkman 2018) with work from the ACM, British Computer Society (BCS 2020), IEEE and many other industry, third sector and governmental stakeholders (Field and Nagy 2019). To provide context, Table 1 is a (non-exhaustive) list of tools that use different mechanisms to support development of ethical systems.…”

Section: Ethics By Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There have been numerous attempts to support virtuous behaviour by technologists (Volkman, 2018) with work from the ACM, British Computer Society (BCS 2020), IEEE and many other industry, third sector and governmental stakeholders (Field and Nagy 2019). By no means exhaustively, Table 1 below covers our list of example tools seeking to support reflection by technologists on their work.…”

Section: Existing Ethical Design Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Moral-IT Deck: a tool for ethics by design

Urquhart

Craigon

2021

Journal of Responsible Innovation

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This paper presents a new ethics by design tool: The Moral-IT Deck.The deck is a set of physical cards that prompt reflection on normative aspects of technology development. Coupled with our Moral-IT Impact Assessment Board, they help technologists to reflect on how to address emerging ethical risks and implement appropriate safeguards. We present the card deck, their development and our empirical evaluation. The cards and board enable designers to reflect on challenges posed by their system and plan how to act in response. Our key findings relate to three themes, namely: the value of our cards as a tool, their impact on the technology design process, and how they structure ethical reflection. Key lessons and concepts conclude the paper, documenting how the cards level the playing field for debate; enable ethical clustering, sorting and comparison; provide appropriate anchors for discussion, and highlight the intertwined nature of ethics.

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Section: Ethics By Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Existing Ethical Design Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Moral-IT Deck: a tool for ethics by design

Urquhart

Craigon

2021

Journal of Responsible Innovation

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“…A good starting point is to consider more generally what it means to be professional, using a virtue ethics interpretation. An example of this is found in a review of the ACM/IEEE Code for Software Engineers (Volkman, 2013). To be a professional is to define one's self in terms of something one professes; professions are defined in terms of shared values and projects.…”

Section: Professionalism and Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the professional, ethics is just what it means to do your job well on your own terms, the terms you profess when you declare yourself to be a professional. Volkman (2013) uses Aristotelian insights to suggest that what it is for a thing to be a good thing of its kind depends on properly understanding what makes the thing exactly what it is. By analogy, it is because a knife is for cutting that a good knife has to be sharp.…”

Section: Professionalism and Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Professional ethics in the information age

Burmeister

2017

JICES

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Purpose Professional ethics is explored with three main foci: a critique of codes of conduct and the value of creating a global code for information and communication technology (ICT); a critique of ICT professional certification; and the debate over whether ICT is really a profession. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual reflection on the current state of the ICT industry internationally, informed by the literature. Findings Compared to a mature profession, such as health, ICT is a young profession. This is evidenced in the disparity of domains of practice, the lack of agreement on universal values governing the industry and the ongoing difficulties in creating international certification. Originality/value Until now, there has been little recognition of the corporatisation of ICT professionals and the effect that has on their ability to engage in appropriate professional ethics. More research is needed to explore appropriate ways in which ethical behaviour can be encouraged in the corporate workplace, including how professional development can be strengthened through building learning organisations.

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“…Both in general and for specific professions, virtues and virtue ethics offer important insights. Citing Volkman (2013), the author mentions "shared values and projects". For example, for information and communication technology (ICT) professionals, surely "honesty" is highly valued, both within the profession itself and in interactions between professionals and the "outside world".…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Yes, but … our response to: “professional ethics in the information age”

Gotterbarn

Miller

2017

JICES

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Purpose This short viewpoint is a response to a lead paper on professional ethics in the information age. This paper aims to draw upon the authors’ experience of professional bodies such as the ACM over many years. Points of agreement and disagreement are highlighted with the aim of promoting wider debate. Design/methodology/approach An analysis of the lead paper is undertaken using a binary agree/disagree approach. This highlights the conflicting views which can then be considered in more detail. Findings Four major agreements and four major disagreements are identified. There is an emphasis on “acultural” professionalism to promote moral behavior rather than amoral behavior. Originality/value This is an original viewpoint which draws from the authors’ practical experience and expertise.

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Being a good computer professional: The advantages of virtue ethics in computing

Cited by 5 publications

References 1 publication

The Moral-IT Deck: a tool for ethics by design

The Moral-IT Deck: a tool for ethics by design

Professional ethics in the information age

Yes, but … our response to: “professional ethics in the information age”

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